It’s National Eggs Benedict Day! Every April 16th, food enthusiasts pay homage to the iconic breakfast dish that has delighted brunch aficionados for decades.
The origin of Eggs Benedict is shrouded in culinary lore. One popular theory attributes its creation to Lemuel Benedict, a Wall Street broker who ordered a unique dish at the Waldorf Hotel in 1894. Combining poached eggs, Canadian bacon, English muffins, and hollandaise sauce, this quickly gained popularity and became a staple on brunch menus worldwide.
HOW TO POACH AN EGG
Eggs Benedict typically consists of poached eggs nestled on top of toasted English muffins along with Canadian bacon, all smothered hollandaise sauce. To prepare this dish, we usually start by poaching the eggs, toasting the muffins, and crisping the bacon. Assemble the ingredients and *generously* drizzle hollandaise sauce over the top for a winning brunch.
While Eggs Benedict may not be considered a health food, it does offer some nutritional benefits. Eggs are a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, while Canadian bacon provides a leaner alternative to traditional bacon. Canadian bacon comes from the loin of the pig. It’s much leaner than the fatty, salty, American-style bacon that most often comes from the belly region.
However, the hollandaise sauce, made of melted butter, lemon juice and egg yolks, contributes to the dish’s higher calorie and fat content. Moderation and variation on the sauce can make this fit your diet a bit better.
Check out The Pioneer Woman’s recipe below!
1
Bring a pot of water to a boil. While the water’s boiling, place the English muffin halves and an equal number of Canadian bacon slices on a cookie sheet. Lightly butter the English muffins and place the sheet under the broiler for just a few minutes, or until the English muffins are very lightly golden. Be careful not to dry out the Canadian bacon.
2
Now if you do not have an egg poacher you can poach your eggs by doing the following: With a spoon, begin stirring the boiling water in a large, circular motion. When the tornado’s really twisting, crack in an egg. The reason for the swirling is so the egg will wrap around itself as it cooks, keeping it together. Cook for about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
3
Melt 2 sticks of butter in a small saucepan until sizzling, but don’t let it burn! Separate three eggs and place the yolks into a blender. Turn the blender on low to allow the yolks to combine, then begin pouring the very hot butter in a thin stream into the blender. The blender should remain on the whole time, and you should be careful to pour in the butter very slowly. Keep pouring butter until it’s all gone, then immediately begin squeezing lemon juice into the blender. If you are going to add cayenne pepper, this is the point at which you would do that.
4
Place the English muffins on the plate, face up. Next, place a slice of Canadian bacon on each half. Place an egg on top of the bacon and then top with a generous helping of Hollandaise sauce. Vegetarian variation: you can omit the Canadian bacon altogether, or you can wilt fresh spinach and place it on the muffins for Eggs Florentine, which is divine in its own right. Top with more cayenne, or a sprinkle of paprika, and chopped chives if you like.
Tip: To ensure that everything is hot at the time when it’s ready to serve, plunge the poached eggs back into the hot water just before serving, and make the Hollandaise at the very last minute.
