Who doesn’t love Eggs Benedict? My personal favorite version is with smoked salmon, but feel free to swap in back bacon or ham if that’s your preference. Poached eggs may seem tricky at first, but once you get the hang of them, they’re a breeze. With a little practice, you’ll be impressing your guests in no time!
To make things even easier, I often skip the Hollandaise sauce. The runny yolk does a perfect job of acting like a sauce, keeping the dish delicious but lightened up! Serve this on broiled English muffins with your favorite toppings like smoked salmon, bacon, or even veggies like blanched asparagus or tomatoes.
Pro tip: You can poach several eggs at once by using a wide pan, just be sure to start small if you’re new to poaching.
Recipe Highlights:
- Poached Eggs: Simmered gently for 3-5 minutes for perfect soft yolks.
- Optional Hollandaise Sauce: While delicious, you can skip it to save time and calories. The runny yolk does the job!
- Toppings: Smoked salmon, bacon, or even vegetarian options like tomatoes or seared mushrooms.
Serve everything warm, and let each guest build their own perfect plate!
To make the Hollandaise:
Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer. In the meantime, in a heatproof bowl, whisk egg yolks with lemon juice until the mixture thickens and increases in volume. Set the mixture on top of the simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Ensure the heat is not too high and you are constantly whisking, otherwise your eggs will scramble. Keep whisking while slowly drizzling in the butter (very slowly to prevent the mixture from separating.) Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth, thick and close to double in volume. If your sauce is thicker than desired, you can adjust consistency by adding warm water, a tablespoon at a time. The water will also help if the sauce separates while you are making it - just add the water and whisk until it forms into a smooth sauce.
Remove from heat and stir in salt to taste.
If you are not used to making Hollandaise, it's possible that you may have a few lumps from some of the egg cooking. Simple to fix! Just strain your sauce in a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover it and keep warm until ready to serve.
Bring a wide pan with at least 3 inches of water to a simmer. Add vinegar or lemon juice (but this technique will also work without the acid, although it helps.) Reduce to a gentle simmer and crack your eggs, one at a time, straight into the pot. Stir the water gently for about 7 seconds in a circular motion before adding the next egg. Cook 4 eggs at a time. Allow the eggs to sit in the simmering water until the egg whites are set but the egg yolks are still very soft. This will generally take 3-5 minutes. You can easily feel the eggs at any time and once the egg feels like it's cooked to your liking, remove it to a plate and ensure to drain well. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
While your eggs are cooking in the simmering water, preheat the broiler, separate English muffins in half, and toast under the broiler with the cut side up. Top each muffin with smoked salmon slices. Alternatively, you may top the muffins with any other toppings of choice.
Place warm drained egg on top. Gently spoon some Hollandaise over each egg, if using. Sprinkle with salt, paprika or cayenne and parsley. Serve warm.
This is my absolute favourite lunch. We make it often and to make the process easier, while lightening the calories, we skip the Hollandaise sauce and it still tastes absolutely delicious. Remember, the egg yolk will work like sauce, so you may not miss the Hollandaise that much!
Ingredients
Directions
To make the Hollandaise:
Bring a pot of water to a gentle simmer. In the meantime, in a heatproof bowl, whisk egg yolks with lemon juice until the mixture thickens and increases in volume. Set the mixture on top of the simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Ensure the heat is not too high and you are constantly whisking, otherwise your eggs will scramble. Keep whisking while slowly drizzling in the butter (very slowly to prevent the mixture from separating.) Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth, thick and close to double in volume. If your sauce is thicker than desired, you can adjust consistency by adding warm water, a tablespoon at a time. The water will also help if the sauce separates while you are making it - just add the water and whisk until it forms into a smooth sauce.
Remove from heat and stir in salt to taste.
If you are not used to making Hollandaise, it's possible that you may have a few lumps from some of the egg cooking. Simple to fix! Just strain your sauce in a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover it and keep warm until ready to serve.
Bring a wide pan with at least 3 inches of water to a simmer. Add vinegar or lemon juice (but this technique will also work without the acid, although it helps.) Reduce to a gentle simmer and crack your eggs, one at a time, straight into the pot. Stir the water gently for about 7 seconds in a circular motion before adding the next egg. Cook 4 eggs at a time. Allow the eggs to sit in the simmering water until the egg whites are set but the egg yolks are still very soft. This will generally take 3-5 minutes. You can easily feel the eggs at any time and once the egg feels like it's cooked to your liking, remove it to a plate and ensure to drain well. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
While your eggs are cooking in the simmering water, preheat the broiler, separate English muffins in half, and toast under the broiler with the cut side up. Top each muffin with smoked salmon slices. Alternatively, you may top the muffins with any other toppings of choice.
Place warm drained egg on top. Gently spoon some Hollandaise over each egg, if using. Sprinkle with salt, paprika or cayenne and parsley. Serve warm.
This is my absolute favourite lunch. We make it often and to make the process easier, while lightening the calories, we skip the Hollandaise sauce and it still tastes absolutely delicious. Remember, the egg yolk will work like sauce, so you may not miss the Hollandaise that much!
