I can’t imagine a fancier-feeling brunch dish than eggs Benedict! English muffins delicately layered with Canadian bacon, poached eggs, and rich, buttery hollandaise sauce make for the most decadent, flavorful breakfast. Even better, they come together in about 30 minutes.
The trick here is to make hollandaise sauce in a blender, rather than the traditional way — over a double boiler on the stove (yikes). Not only does the blender method save you from constantly whisking over hot steaming water, but it’s also foolproof. There is no risk of the egg curdling or sauce breaking, so it’s a big win in my book.
You can even make eggs Benedict for a crowd! Double the hollandaise sauce batch using the foolproof blender method, then toast a double batch of English muffins and Canadian bacon on a baking sheet in the oven, rather than on the stovetop. Then, all you have to do is poach the eggs and you have a very posh breakfast for eight!
How to Make Eggs Benedict
Make the hollandaise.
Combine lemon juice, egg yolks, and cayenne pepper in the bowl of a blender. With the blender running, slowly stream in melted butter until the sauce is a creamy light yellow color.
Poach the eggs.
Heat water in a high-sided sauté pan until boiling. Reduce the heat to simmer, then, working in batches, cook the eggs until the whites are set, but the yolks are still jiggly.
Cook the Canadian bacon and English muffins.
While the eggs are cooking, working in batches, cook the Canadian bacon in a skillet. Then, toast the English muffins in the same skillet.
Assemble and serve.
Arrange 2 English muffin halves cut-side up on each plate, then top each with a slice of Canadian bacon and a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs, then finish with a sprinkle of paprika and fresh chives.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Poached eggs are best made fresh, but you can store and reheat leftover hollandaise sauce, if you have some. To reheat in the microwave, heat at 20 percent power in 15-second increments, stirring after each increment, until the sauce is warm and smooth, but not hot (you don’t want to overcook the eggs). Alternatively, reheat in a double boiler or bowl the same way you made it initially until warm, but not hot.
INGREDIENTS
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium lemon
3 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne or white pepper
8 large eggs, divided
8 slices Canadian bacon, divided
4 English muffins
1 small bunch fresh chives
Paprika, for sprinkling
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut 10 tablespoons unsalted butter into small cubes and place in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until the butter is melted, 30 to 60 seconds total. (Alternatively, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.)
Juice 1 medium lemon until you have 2 tablespoons. Place the lemon juice, 3 large egg yolks, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne or white pepper in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth, about 10 seconds.
With the blender on high speed, very slowly stream in the melted butter and blend until creamy, pale yellow, and completely emulsified, about 90 seconds total. (To avoid splatter, you can partially cover the opening with a kitchen towel.) Pour the hollandaise into a small bowl. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Fill a large, high-sided sauté pan about 2/3 full with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, crack 4 of the large eggs into 4 separate small bowls or ramekins.
When the water is boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer — just a few bubbles should make it to the surface of the water. Gently pour the 4 eggs in the bowls one by one, spacing them evenly around the pan. Cook until the white is set but the yolk still jiggles when you lift up the egg with a slotted spoon, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Crack the remaining 4 large eggs into the now-empty bowls and repeat the poaching process.
While the eggs are poaching, place 4 slices of the Canadian bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the bacon is warmed through and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining 4 bacon slices. Place on a plate. Split the English muffins, then toast them to desired doneness. Finely chop 1 small bunch fresh chives until you have about 2 tablespoons.
Divide the toasted English muffins cut-side up between 4 plates. Place 1 slice Canadian bacon onto each muffin half. Top each with 1 poached egg, followed by a few spoonfuls of hollandaise (if the hollandaise has thickened, thin it out with hot water 1 teaspoon at a time). Garnish with the chives and a light sprinkle of paprika.
