Whenever we go out for brunch, I go for french toast or sometimes a confit hash. But for my mom, it’s a no-brainer she’ll order an Eggs Benedict, whatever is offered. I don’t know what it is and her love affair with even just a simple eggs benny, but maybe it’s because as simple as it gets, an eggs benedict is still a wonderful concoction full with flavor, using just the simplest components. And I am all about simplicity guised in the façade of sophistication.
Now, we don’t normally have Canadian bacon or crab patties on hand (or ever for that fact), which are the main go-to flavors my mom likes at restaurants. Instead, we’ll often have sausages or other cold cuts, and that’s where Coro Food’s sausage comes in. I love how it’s jam packed with flavor, the perfect addition to uplift a simple eggs benedict!
Unlike most of my other recipes, this one will mostly be how to assemble an eggs benedict, using some of my favorite recipes! To start, I made my own sourdough english muffins, but feel free to use your favorite carb base, homemade or not. I simply wanted to try out new sourdough recipes and this King Arthur one fit the bill. Ask your local bakery for some sourdough starter if you’re interested to try.
On top of a perfectly toasted, just-golden-brown-kind-of-toasted, english muffin sits a rotund tomato slice. P.S. Add a little butter on the muffin for some extra protection to keep the bread toast and not soggy. Then layer up with slices of sausage (I used Coro Food’s lemongrass sausage and it was bomber). Add a poached egg (it’s not as bad as most people make it out to be). And top it off with some homemade hollandaise sauce. Trust me when I say this is also easy to make.
The most daunting task: poaching an egg. There’s plenty of blogs and websites and books about poaching an egg, but if you don’t care too much about how it looks, it’s quite simple. Crack an egg into a bowl, best if over a slotted spoon to remove some of the excess watery-whites. Stir a rolling boiled pot of water with a long narrow utensil until a tornado or indent appears in the middle – it’s kind of a vigorous stir. And once that cavity appears, quickly remove your stirring stick and slip that egg into the middle of the water. This helps hold the egg together. Set a timer for about 2.5 minutes and using your slotted spoon, remove the egg. I like to drain the egg a little on a paper towel before setting it on my muffin.
The second most daunting task: making hollandaise sauce. I’m sure you could buy this somewhere, but you just take egg yolks, add a little liquid (water and lemon juice), and cook it over a low heat. Key is low heat and stirring constantly until it thickens and then add butter to loosen it back and that’s basically it! Easy-peasy, right?
So I hope you enjoy this little intro to making your own Eggs Benedict and that you’ll enjoy some yourself in the comfort of your home and perhaps even a cup of hot coffee or tea!
*btw, though I mention brands, this post isn’t an ad, though it is an appreciation post!
Simple Eggs Benedict
Ingredients
- 2 sourdough english muffins
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice (about half a lemon)
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- dash salt
- dash cayenne
- 1 round tomato, sliced (like beefsteak or on-the-vine)
- 12 slices lemongrass salami
- 1 spring parsley, chopped
- 1 Tbsp salted butter (for spreading)
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Use a fork to pierce the english muffins in half to create 4 muffin bottoms. This creates the nice organic-looking texture rather than slicing it open.
- Slice the tomatoes. If watery, let them sit on a paper towel. Chop the parsley and slice the salami if you haven't yet.
- For the hollandaise sauce, whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice in a sauce pan. On low heat, continually stir the mixture until it evenly cooks and thickens. Add butter one tablespoon at a time. The final sauce should just barely be easy to drizzle. Season with salt and cayenne to taste. Set aside.
- Everything should be ready at this point except the poached eggs. Bring a pot of water to boil. As it boils, start cracking one egg into a bowl. Use a slotted spoon to remove excess water in the egg whites. Once the water boils, vigorously stir it with a long spoon to create a cavity in the center. Quickly slip the egg in and cook it on a boil for 2.5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and let the water drip off over a paper towel. Repeat for the remaining eggs.
- As the eggs poach, you can begin assembling. First, toast the muffins to your preference. Spread butter on top once they've slightly cooled. Top with a slice of tomato, then 3 slices of salami. When the poached eggs have cooked and slightly dried off, add it on top. Drizzle with the hollandaise sauce and garnished with parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- This goes by quick, so for the warmest, toastiest eggs benedict, make sure you have everything ready to go once you're starting to poach the eggs.
- I used King Arthur's recipe for making my own sourdough english muffins.
Hollandaise sauce is a pared down Julia Child's recipe. I like to use paprika with cayenne to mellow out the spiciness and still add color. - This is the Coro Food's salami
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