Eggs Benedict with Foolproof Hollandaise Sauce

Eggs Benedict is by far my favorite breakfast meal. There's something about the buttery, crunchy toasted English muffin, the subtle saltiness of the Canadian bacon, the richness of a gently poached egg and the creaminess of a good Hollandaise sauce that makes the dish. Whenever I go out for breakfast or brunch, I immediately zone in on the restaurant's benedict options. But  the funny thing is, I've never attempted to make it at home... until recently. And ever since I've made it at home the first time, I've been making eggs benedict at least once a week just to get my fix! Here's my go-to recipe for Eggs Benedict with Foolproof Hollandaise Sauce that will kick start your day in a delicious way...

This is the classic recipe for Eggs Benedict consisting of Canadian bacon and poached egg. However don't let this stop you from experimenting! There are all sorts of variations to try like substituting the canadian bacon with crabcakes, homemade sausage patties, bacon, Mexican chorizo, turkey, etc. I can't wait to play around with eggs benedict recipes and come up with variations of my own soon...

Eggs Benedict
recipe from Cook's Country
Best Country Recipes Magazine 2010

2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
12 large eggs
6 english muffins, split & toasted
12 slices Canadian bacon
1 recipe for Foolproof Hollandaise

Fill a large 12 inch skillet nearly to the rim with water. Add the vinegar and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, remove off heat.

Crack an egg into a small bowl and one at a time, carefully pour the egg into the skillet. Repeat with the remaining eggs,being careful not to crowd the pan. (You may want to only poach 6 eggs at a time to avoid crowding.)

Once your eggs are in the skillet, cover the pan and poach the eggs until whites are set but yolks are slightly runny, about 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a paper towel-lined plate.

Meanwhile, preheat your broiler. Arrange your toasted English muffins, split side up, on a baking sheet and place a slice of bacon on each. Broil until they begin to brown, about 1 minute.

Arrange 1 poached egg on top of each English muffin. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of hollandaise sauce over each egg. Garnish with minced fresh parsley and serve.

Foolproof Hollandaise
makes 2 cups

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
salt to taste

Whisk butter and egg yolks in a large heat resistant bowl set over a medium saucepan filled with 1/2 inch of barely simmering water. Be careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Slowly add the 1/2 cup of boiling water into the bowl and cook, whisking constantly. It will eventually thicken when the sauce registers 160 degrees, in about 7-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir the lemon juice and cayenne if using. Season with salt to taste and serve over eggs benedict above.