Eggs Benedict

Who doesn't love a classic Eggs Benedict (aka Eggs Bennie) when you go out for breakfast. But it's also a great one to make at home on the weekends.

I've made a ridiculous amount of eggs Benedicts during my time as a chef, so I'll talk you through how to make a good hollandaise that doesn't split, and the rest of the steps are easy!

Approaching your hollandaise

Hollandaise is an emulsion sauce, which means it’s fat suspended in liquid using egg yolk as the emulsifier. The key variables are temperature and the rate at which you add the butter. Too much heat and the egg proteins cook through rather than emulsify, and the sauce breaks into a greasy scrambled-egg mess. Too fast with the butter and the emulsion can’t form a stable structure. I clarify the butter first to remove the water and milk solids. Clarified butter has a higher fat concentration than whole butter, which produces a richer, more stable sauce that’s less prone to splitting when served.

The double boiler setup gives you indirect heat so you can control the temperature of the yolk mixture without it touching the heat source directly. Whisk the yolks with the vinegar and lemon juice until they double in volume and turn pale, then take the bowl off the heat before adding the butter. The residual warmth of the bowl is enough to finish the emulsification. Once the sauce is ready, keep it covered with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin forming while you fry the bacon and assemble.

Ingredient Notes

Clarified butter: Clarifying removes the water (about 17% of whole butter) and milk solids, leaving pure butterfat. The absence of water makes the hollandaise more concentrated and reduces the risk of it splitting. It also lets you whisk in more fat before the sauce tightens up. To clarify, melt the butter over low heat until it foams, skim the foam, and pour off the clear yellow fat, leaving the white solids behind in the pan.

Apple cider vinegar: The vinegar adds acidity to balance the richness of the butter, and it begins to lightly denature the yolk proteins before you apply any heat, helping the emulsion form more readily. A small amount of lemon juice is added later for brightness. White wine vinegar is the classic choice but apple cider vinegar gives a slightly rounder flavour and works equally well.

Canadian (back) bacon: Back bacon is cut from the loin rather than the belly, so it’s leaner and more uniform in shape than streaky bacon. The rounded slices sit flat on the muffin and don’t overhang the edges. You can substitute with regular ham, or wilt some spinach in the pan for a vegetarian version (Eggs Florentine). Prosciutto or smoked salmon (Eggs Royale) are other common variations.

Equipment

• Chopping board
• Chef’s knife
• Medium saucepan
• Heatproof bowl (fits over saucepan without touching water)
• Whisk
• Frying pan
• Slotted spoon (for poached eggs)