Eggs Benedict

Eggs benedict is a classic American breakfast food that was first popularized in New York City. It consists of placing poached eggs on two halves of an English muffin, and covering them with your favorite spices and amenities. It is not the easiest to prepare meal, due to the difficulty of poaching eggs. But it is delicious and savory; once you learn to make it, you’ll want to spoil yourself at breakfast all the time. You might even enjoy it so much that you’ll want to take it to work with you and introduce this wonder to your colleagues. Simply pack your eggs Benedict into a Vaya Tyffyn and you’ll be able to enjoy it fresh and hot anytime and anywhere.

Health Benefits

Eggs Benedict has a lot of health benefits to offer. It is packed full of protein provided from a variety of sources, including butter, eggs, sour cream, and bacon. Protein is great for repairing damage to the body’s cells. It’s the basic requirement for muscle repair and muscle fatigue recovery as well. Besides offering so much protein, eggs also help reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. This is primarily due to the fact that eggs are great at regulating cholesterol. They raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels and lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. The only reason to ignore all these health benefits is if you don’t like eggs.

Ingredients

unsalted butter: ¾ cup

egg yolks: 3

fresh lemon juice – plus more to taste: 1 ½ tsp

cayenne– plus more to taste: ¼ tsp

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

white distilled vinegar: 1 tbsp

Kosher salt

Large eggs: 8

English muffins – split: 4

slices Canadian bacon: 8

unsalted butter: 2 tbsp

chopped chives: ¼ cup

chopped dill, tarragon, or parsley: 2 tbsp

Flaky sea salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

How To Make Eggs Benedict

1. Make the hollandaise.
   • Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or till it’s foamy but not starting to brown.
2. Place egg yolks and 2 tsp water in a blender.
3. Start blending, and, working very slowly, add the hot, melted butter until it’s all incorporated.
   • Add lemon juice and cayenne.

Note: Feel free to adjust the amounts to taste, and season with salt and pepper.

1. Transfer the hollandaise to a small bowl, and place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent it forming a skin.
2. Set aside.

Note:It will keep at room temperature while you work.

4. Poach the eggs.
   • Fill a medium pot with 3 inches of water.
   • Add vinegar, season with salt, and let simmer.
   • Stir the water with a clockwise motion using the handle of aspatula.
   • Gently crack an egg into the center of the pot.
   • Let the water swirl around it and allow the white to envelop the yolk.
   • Repeat with remaining eggs.
   • Check the eggs after 4 minutes: Use a slotted spoon to lift an egg out of the water.
   • Feel the white for firmness.

Note: If it's not quite done, slide it back in for another minute or so.

5. Let cook until the whites are set, but the yolks are still runny.
   • Remove eggs from the water once eggs are perfectly poached.
   • Drain on a plate lined with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
   • Set eggs aside.
6. Toast English muffins until crisp and golden brown and sturdy enough to withstand the moisture of hollandaise and poached eggs.
7. Cook Canadian bacon in a medium skillet over a medium–high heat until they turn golden brown and the edges turn crisp.
8. Assemble the Benedict.
   • Place eight halves of English muffin on a plate and butter them generously.
   • Top each with a slice of Canadian bacon, ham or bacon, then a poached egg.
   • Spoon hollandaise sauce over and sprinkle with chives, dill, flaky sea salt and black pepper.
9. Serve and enjoy!