Eggs Benedict is an American brunch or breakfast dish that comprises two halves of an English muffin with bacon or ham as toppings. There’s nothing more ideal for brunch than Eggs Benedict.
Perfecting the dish is simply about timing, so ensure you have the ingredients close by and start with the Hollandaise first. You can poach eggs in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Serving this dish with smoked salmon rather than the conventional bacon makes the dish even more special. For the perfect dish, check this out.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces of frozen puff pastry (defrosted)
- 6 ounces of smoked salmon
- Finely chopped chives or parsley
- 8 eggs
Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 eggs yolks
- Cayenne pepper (pinch)
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Salt
- 1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet using a parchment paper.
- Unfold the puff pastry (it must be approximately ¼-inch thick). Use a cookie cutter or huge glass to cut out 8 (4-inch) circles.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and puffed up. Remove from the oven and put aside.
- Poach the eggs meanwhile. Fill a shallow pan or small pot with approximately 3 inches of water. Heat the eggs over medium heat until they simmer lightly. Break an egg into the water (you can cook several at a time depending on your pan or pot’s size).
- Poach for approximately 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to take out the eggs from the water. Drain on a towel-lined plate. Do the same with the remaining eggs.
- Place two pastry disks on the four plates with smoked salmon at the top. Each disk should have a poached egg. Sprinkle hollandaise sauce over and use chopped chives or parsley as garnish. Serve immediately.
Preparation of Hollandaise sauce
- Use extremely low heat to melt the butter. Skim the fat from the surface and allow it to cool slightly.
- Insert the egg yolks in a metal bowl (heatproof) and whisk until it’s fully beaten.
- Put the bowl such that it fits over a small bowl with approximately 1-inch of water.
- Set the burner to medium-low and whisk until the water simmers lightly and the eggs lighten in color, double in volume, and are thick. (Don’t permit the water to boil and take care not to scramble the yolks).
- Lower the heat and include some drops of the melted butter while whisking.
- Once fully integrated, add the butter gradually while whisking constantly.
- If the sauce starts appearing grainy and slightly curdled, this is an indication that it’s about to break. Stop everything and include a splash of cool water. Whisk vigorously until it attains a smooth texture. Continue adding butter.
- Once you incorporate the butter fully, include a dash of cayenne, salt, and whisk in lemon juice (2 teaspoons).
- Taste and include more cayenne, salt and/lemon if desired.
- Remove from the heat and place aside while preparing the eggs. Whisk occasionally to avoid skin formation. Use within an hour.
If you haven’t tried smoked eggs Benedict, it’s time you did. The dish is perfect for breakfast or brunch, so don’t miss out.
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