Eggs Benedict

The exact origins of Eggs Benedict are uncertain, but there are a few popular theories about how this classic breakfast dish came to be. One common belief is that Eggs Benedict was created in New York City in the late 19th century. Here are a couple of stories associated with its origin:

  1. Delmonico's Restaurant: One account attributes the creation of Eggs Benedict to Delmonico's, a well-known restaurant in New York City. According to this story, a regular patron, Mrs. LeGrand Benedict, wanted something new for lunch and suggested that the chef, Charles Ranhofer, create a dish with eggs and ham on an English muffin, topped with hollandaise sauce. The chef liked the idea, and Eggs Benedict was born.

  2. Waldorf Hotel: Another theory points to the Waldorf Hotel (now the Waldorf Astoria) in New York City. In this version, a man named Lemuel Benedict, a Wall Street broker, walked into the hotel one morning in 1894 and ordered "buttered toast, crisp bacon, two poached eggs, and a hooker of hollandaise." The maitre d'hotel, Oscar Tschirky, was impressed and later put the dish on the menu, replacing the bacon with ham and the toast with an English muffin.

While the true origin remains a bit unclear, Eggs Benedict has become a popular and iconic breakfast dish enjoyed worldwide. It typically consists of a split and toasted English muffin topped with Canadian bacon or ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. Variations may include smoked salmon or spinach instead of bacon.

Ingredients

For the Hollandaise Sauce:

2 sticks unsalted butter

3 large egg yolks

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 pinches of cayenne pepper

Kosher salt

For the Eggs Benedict:

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

8 large eggs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for spreading

8 slices Canadian bacon

4 English muffins, split

Chopped fresh chives, for topping

Instructions:

  1. Make the hollandaise sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until no longer foamy (but not browned), 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the clear butter to a liquid measuring cup, leaving the milk solids on the bottom of the pan; discard the solids.

  2. Heat 1 inch of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not simmering. Combine the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon water and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a medium stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl on the saucepan (do not let the bowl touch the water). Cook, whisking constantly, until the egg mixture is pale yellow and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Check periodically to make sure the water isn’t boiling or the egg yolks might overcook.

  3. Remove the bowl from the saucepan; slowly pour in the melted butter, a drop at a time at first, whisking constantly until thick. Whisk in the remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, the cayenne and ¼ teaspoon salt. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in some warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to loosen. Return the bowl to the saucepan of water with the heat turned off to keep warm; whisk occasionally.

  4. Make the Eggs Benedict: Fill a large wide pot with 3 inches of water. Heat over medium-high heat until steaming with small bubbles; reduce the heat as needed to maintain a bare simmer. Stir in the vinegar. Crack 4 eggs into individual small bowls or ramekins. Carefully tip the eggs into the water, spacing them as far apart as possible. Cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 3½ minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Gently blot the eggs dry and trim off any wispy pieces. Repeat with the remaining 4 eggs.

  5. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook until lightly browned and warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Toast the English muffins and spread with butter.

  6. Top each English muffin half with a slice of Canadian bacon and a poached egg. Thin the hollandaise sauce with more warm water, if necessary, and season with salt. Spoon over the poached eggs and sprinkle with chopped chives.