Ahh yes!! One of my favorite brunch menu items! I can finally say that I think I’ve mastered the art of the ever so stubborn Eggs Benedict! I’ve attempted to make this recipe about 10 times before I was finally able to properly poach an egg and prevent my Hollandaise from breaking. And as an un-trained home cook, I deem this a great accomplishment! Now that I’m done basking in my glory, I want to tell you about what I learned from the struggle bus adventure that was me and this Eggs Benny.
Let’s first talk about Hollandaise. So a great Hollandaise requires one to vigorously whisk in a bowl over boiling water for about 5 minutes straight while simultaneously streaming melted butter into the sauce. Sounds daunting, I know but this is actually not too technically difficult although it is helpful if you are known for your coordination. Some might find it difficult to whisk with one hand while slowly and steadily pouring with the other. It’s okay! With practice makes perfect and I’d say that this is something that just comes with time and repetition. As long as you’re able to whisk the shit out of this sauce, you should be fine!
One thing I do want to note is that you DO NOT want that water too high. I’d hate for you to do all that whisking only to screw it up by turning your Hollandaise into lemony scrambles eggs! Watch the water level and if you think it may be too high, it probably is.
Now onto the dreaded egg poaching. Whenever I watch The Food Network or any cooking show where they’re poaching eggs, they always have a way of making that shit look so easy! It took me forever to find a technique that actually resulted in success. The technique that I found best (for me) was none other that Gordon Ramsay’s poached egg technique. I’ll even include the link to this simple video here since it is soooo very helpful.
I think the biggest difference in his technique than other’s that I’ve tried is using a whisk to stir your water instead of just a regular old spoon. The whisk helps the water maintain its momentum. That way, when you drop in your egg, the water is able to carry the egg for long enough for the whites to cook around the yolk. I hope that last sentence makes sense but one of my major issues was getting that egg to circle around long enough to cook before just turning into a pool of egg white mess!
One last tip: as I drop in my egg I like to follow it around to avoid what I call the “egg white tail”. This way, all the egg whites can stay in its little ball rather than having a long tail dragging behind it.
So I hope these tips will help you in making a successfully poached egg and delicious Hollandaise! I’d love to know your experience with this technical dish. Leave me a comment!
- 8 oz. crab meat
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 4 biscuits or English muffins
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp. white vinegar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- pinch of salt
Skill Level: Intermediate
Notes:
Hollandaise will start to thicken as it cools. Add a bit of warm water to thin out before serving.