Eggs benedict is typically one of the more expensive selections on the restaurant breakfast menu. Despite the budget-cutting these days, you can still enjoy this favorite luxury meal at home, for less and with a few new twists.
Eggs Benedict recipes
Classic Eggs Benedict
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 egg yolks
3-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pinch ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 eggs
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
8 strips Canadian-style bacon
4 English muffins, split
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Directions:
1. Over a double boiler, whisk egg yolks, lemon juice, pepper, Worcestershire and 1 tablespoon water. Whisk in melted butter and continue whisking until mixture is combined and begins to thicken. Stir in salt. Take pan off of heat and reserve hollandaise in a warm place.
2. Meanwhile, fill a deep skillet with about 3 inches of water. Bring water to a low boil and add vinegar. Break eggs one at a time into water. It may be easier to break eggs into a bowl and pour them into the water. Poach eggs 2 to 3 minutes, until white has solidified and yolk is still runny. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place on a plate.
3. While eggs are poaching, brown ham in a buttered skillet and toast English muffins. To assemble, spread butter on muffins and top with ham, then eggs, then drizzle with hollandaise.
Variations on Eggs Benedict
Be creative with the traditional Eggs Benedict and you may just like your rendition better than the restaurant recipe. Here are some tasty twists.
- Substitute classic Canadian bacon with a few slices of thinly sliced Italian prosciutto.
- Add spinach (or creamed spinach) to the mix or substitute it for the ham.
- Use American style strips of crispy bacon instead of ham.
- Instead of English muffins use toasted corncakes.
- Mini pita breads or simple toast make a good base instead of English muffins.
- If you want a super quick cheesy sauce instead of making hollandaise, melt American cheese over the poached eggs underneath a broiler.
- Substitute crab cakes in the Maryland style for the ham and add horseradish to the sauce.
- Add sautéed mushrooms in place of ham and drizzle a creamy mushroom sauce over the eggs.
- Make Norwegian style benedict with smoked salmon, dill and a cream cheese sauce.
- Substitute asparagus for ham for a vegetarian-style Benedict.
- Marinated artichoke hearts or sliced tomatoes also make a great substitution for ham.
- Sausage patties and sausage gravy are a good variation on ham and hollandaise — be sure to use a country-style biscuit instead of an English muffin.
- Scallops, lobster or shrimp add a delicious flavor in place of ham.
- Fried eggs can be used in place of poached eggs.
- Corned beef, scrapple or hash browns can be exchanged for ham.
- California-style replaces the ham and hollandaise with avocado and salsa. Use a bagel instead of the English muffin.
- Béchamel sauce can be substituted for hollandaise.
- Chorizo and peppers make a benedict with Spanish flair.
- For a very luxurious take on Eggs Benedict, substitute foie gras for ham and top with caviar or add truffles to the sauce.
More on Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict Over Tomatoes
Delicious Hollandaise
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