ALMOST EGGS BENEDICT
The truth is that whenever my husband and I go out to have dinner, he’ll ask for Eggs Benedict if it’s on the menu. Every time. However, I’ve never cooked it at home for him! I’ve only cooked the sauce hollandaise once in the past, and I remember it being a bit complicated, so I kept it for occasions when we’re going out for dinner. …Until now. I was in the mood for Eggs Benedict like no other and decided to give it a go again. And I’m so grateful for it, as I scaled the recipe to two eggs and came up with a simple way to prepare the sauce hollandaise that’s easy enough to make on an unhurried Sunday morning. I’m calling it “Almost” Eggs Benedict because I used sunny-side-up eggs instead of poached eggs. Fried eggs are 100 times better than poached eggs and are still yolks that run, which is the only thing that matters.
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE METHODS
As I attempted to give myself a refresher class about how to make my hollandaise, I found a straightforward one-pan technique that completely intrigued me. I decided to try it; it was straight and performed flawlessly. I tried the one-pot method in the following article, and I’m unsure who used this technique or who to acknowledge correctly. Be aware that this method isn’t my original work. A lot of people utilize the blender method for their hollandaise. This method is pretty foolproof. However, I don’t think a blender suits this approach. Therefore I just used the single pot. If you’re interested in using the blender method, simply Google “blender hollandaise,” and you’ll discover many tutorials.
INGREDIENTS
Five tablespoons butter, divided ($0.83)
2 English muffins ($1.00)
Three large eggs, split ($0.83)
Two slices of Ham ($0.83)
1 Tbsp of water ($0.00)
One lemon (or approximately 1/2 Tbsp juice)* ($0.37)
pinch cayenne ($0.02)
A pinch of salt with pepper ($0.03)
INSTRUCTIONS
Remove the egg’s whites and the yolk of one egg. The yolk should be added to the sauce pot in a small container with 1 TBSP water and around 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (I prefer my hollandaise to be quite lemony, however, if you do not begin with one teaspoon of the juice from a lemon). Mix them until they are the mixture is smooth. The pot isn’t over-temperature at this point.
Cut 4 Tbsp of butter into half-tbsp pieces and put it in a sauce dish with the egg, water, and lemon juice. Then, put the saucepan over low heat and continue to whisk while allowing the butter to melt slowly into the yolk while you whisk. It should take between 2 and 3 seconds for the butter to melt.
When the butter is completely melting, continue whisking continually and vigorously. As the mixture heats, the yolk will begin to cook and solidify to make the sauce airy and velvety. The dish takes about three to five minutes to heat to the level where it becomes thick and appears frothy before it gets wider. After it has thickened, please remove it from the stove. Check the sauce for flavor, then season using a small amount of cayenne pepper and salt. If you’d like to add more lemon juice, you can whisk it in at this stage. Put a lid over the pot and place it close to the burner that will be used to cook the eggs and Ham, but not on the flame, so that it keeps it a little warm.
Add around one tablespoon of butter into a large skillet and set it at a moderate temperature. Let the butter melt, and then tilt the skillet so that it coats the surface. Uncover your English muffins and put them with the cut sides facing down on the skillet. Bake them until golden brown, flip them over, and cook for a few minutes on the opposite face (about 5 minutes total). Toast the muffins in butter on plates.
Remove the skillet and wipe it clean to remove any cornmeal accumulated in the muffins. Add a teaspoon of butter. When the butter is melted, add ham slices into the pan and cook till golden across both sides (another three to five minutes). If the portions of Ham are huge, like mine, cut the slices in half to fit on the English muffins. After browning, put the ham pieces on the cooked English muffins.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add a teaspoon of butter, and cook eggs until the egg whites are firm but the yolks remain running. I have found that using a lower temperature allows the eggs to heat and cook before boiling the yolk. Then, top the muffins and Ham with eggs.
Lastly, drizzle the freshly prepared hollandaise sauce on top of Ham, eggs on English muffins, and then enjoy.
