Time 20 min
Servings 2
I love the simplicity and speed of this home cook-friendly Eggs Benedict recipe. Who wants to have people over for brunch and spend the whole time cooking? This tastes great and, with just a few funky tricks, halves the time spent poaching and making sauce. (Shout out to Julia Child for the blender hollandaise trick.) Eggs Benjamin: not quite as fancy as Eggs Benedict, but oh, they’ll do.
What You Need
FOR ASSEMBLY
2 English muffins
4 slices meat of your choice (I like ham, smoked salmon, or bologna)
4 whole eggs for poaching
2-3 Tbsp butter for buttering toasted muffins and frying meat (if using ham or bologna)
cayenne or smoked paprika and chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
blender (or food processor)
toaster
egg poaching device of your choice (like this one)
FOR SAUCE
3 egg yolks
½ cup melted butter, hot
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
How it’s done
1
GET READY
Bring water to a light simmer to prepare to poach your eggs. Put your sliced English muffins in the toaster, but don't turn it on. Separate your egg yolks for your sauce, measure out the other sauce ingredients, and make sure you have your blender plugged in and ready for action. Bring a pan to a sizzle and add butter if you're frying your meat, and get a second pan ready to go for the butter for your sauce.
2
BREAD
Actually probably takes the longest, once you're ready to go. Plus, with everything else on top of it, you won't mind if it's had a minute to sit waiting in the toaster, versus your eggs or hollandaise. Start this first, then move to your eggs. Expect a 5 minute toast.
3
EGGS
I am going all in on saying, get yourself a device specifically designed for egg cookery. They cost between $15 and $30 and will make your life 8,000 times easier, especially if you want to serve multiple poached eggs at around the same time. I had an old co-worker who got a bunch of us on the egg machine train and I have to say, he was right. If you love a good egg, that is. If you don't, be my guest, do it the normal way with the swirling and the stress. In most devices, a soft poached egg (whites cooked but yolk still runny) will take between 2 and 4 minutes once the water is simmering.
4
MEAT
Eggs in, drop your meat in your hot buttered pan and brown lightly, about 1 minute on each side depending on your meat. (For bologna, cut a little slit in the center to prevent bubbling.)
5
SAUCE
While you cook your meat, melt the butter for your sauce. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, dijon, and salt into your blender and blitz for a few seconds, then (blender still running) slowly stream in your hot butter. Once it's all combined, your sauce is ready.
6
ASSEMBLY
Bread. Meat. Eggs. Sauce. If you're feeling fancy, garnish with a sprinkle of cayenne or paprika and a little chopped parsley. And that's it, you're off to impress your friends! Save a mimosa for me!
This is a recipe where timing is everything. In general, getting everything set to go before you start cooking will work in your favor here.
Raw and undercooked eggs carry a risk of salmonella and may be unsafe for certain people to eat, including those who are pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised (plus, not everyone likes them). Enjoy at your own discretion. (Skipping cooking it? You can still watch the video on Epicurious.)
EXTRA NOTES
This is a recipe where timing is everything. In general, getting everything set to go before you start cooking will work in your favor here.
Raw and undercooked eggs carry a risk of salmonella and may be unsafe for certain people to eat, including those who are pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised (plus, not everyone likes them). Enjoy at your own discretion. (Skipping cooking it? You can still watch the video on Epicurious.)
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