Eggs Benedict in 8 Steps

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A few years ago, a neighbor made Eggs Benedict for both me and my husband, because we all share a love for cooking and because I’d never had it before.  I dunno why I’d never had it.  I just hadn’t; but let me just say – it changed my life.  I could hardly stop thinking about it, because just knowing that someone could actually make it at home made me really want to try it myself.
I scoped out a number of different recipes, and found that it’s not really that complicated –  if you prepare it systematically.
The recipe I want to share with you, is for just two servings (i.e. It’s just right for my husband and I for a Breakfast For Dinner Date Night menu, or as a weekend brunch for the two of us.), but it’s also extremely versatile, allowing you to double it, or triple it, etc., and make as many servings as you need.
Try it this week, and see if it doesn’t change your life too!

Ingredients (Hollandaise sauce)
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup lightly salted butter, melted (1/2 stick)
Pinch cayenne (optional)
Ingredients – Eggs Benedict
4 slices Canadian bacon (I used Jones Canadian Bacon)
2 English muffins, split  (I used Thomas High Fiber English Muffins)
1 tsp white vinegar
4 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Hollandaise sauce (recipe above)
Fresh chopped parsley (for garnish)
Pictured below, are the handful of simple ingredients you’ll need.
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Step 1 – Set your oven to warm (once the Hollandaise sauce is done, you’ll place the bowl containing it in the oven to stay warm while you make the rest of the dish).
Step 2 – Fill a 10 in skillet half full with water, add the vinegar to it, and set on the stove stop to cook.  When it reaches a simmer, reduce the flame so it remains at a simmer.  (This pan will be used for poaching the eggs.)
Step 3 – Fill a saucepan with a little more water than it takes to just cover the bottom of the pan, and bring it to just a simmer as well. (This pan will be used as a double boiler for cooking your Hollandaise.)
Step 4 –  (Making the Hollandaise) Add the egg yolks and lemon juice to a stainless steel bowl and wisk vigoriously.

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Keep wisking until it looks about like the picture below (it might take a couple or so minutes, not too long…).
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Step 5 – Put the wisked egg yolk mixture on top of the saucepan ( from Step 3 above), and continue wisking vigorously.  When it starts to thicken, and is about doubled in volume, the eggs are cooked so you can gradually pour in the melted butter (continue wisking vigorously).
Note:  This is the only step where you could potentially end up with scrambled eggs…if you let your eggs get too hot too quickly and don’t wisk enough.  If this does happens, don’t freak out.  It’s just eggs…  That said, you will have to start this step over from scratch – because (sadly) scrambled eggs will never ever morph into a Hollandaise, no matter how much you try to wisk them after the fact.   (Ask me sometime how I know this…)
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When the Hollandaise sauce is done, it should look similar to the picture below.  Put the whole bowl in the oven to stay warm, until you’re ready to assembly everything together.
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Step 6 – Toast the English muffins and put them in the oven to stay warm too.
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Step 7 – In a medium to hot pan, cook the  Canadian bacon approximately 1 minute on each side – so it looks similar to below picture, then remove it from the pan and place one piece on each half of the English muffin warming in the oven.
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Step 8 – In the 10 inch skillet with the vinegar simmering on the stove top (from Step 2), gently add the whole eggs, one by one.  (If you break one, just keep going.)
PaulaReyne.,com Poaching egg 640x480
 Leave the eggs alone and allow them to poach in the water undisturbed (if the water doesn’t fully cover the eggs, you can gently spoon water over the top to assist with the cooking, but other than that, try not to disturb the eggs at all.)
A perfectly poached egg will be opaque in color, but will still have a soft center.  When they have reached this point, use a slotted spoon and gently remove them one at a time from the poaching water, and place an egg on each side of the English muffins from the oven. Then  spoon a generous spoonful of the Hollandaise sauce over that.
Note: The picture (below) shows one egg that’s cooked a tad too long, and one that could stand to cook a minute longer.
PaulaReyne.com Poaching egg nearly done 640x315
Garnish your Eggs Benedict with a pinch of salt, cayenne, and/or chopped parsley.  The eggs are perfectly cooked, if when you cut into them, the yolk is neither too runny nor too firm, but flows out like a velvety warm sauce (as shown below).
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Enjoy!

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