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+ servings

Eggs Benedict

Photo by Lynne Calamia
ACTIVE TIME: 55 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 13 hours 55 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Software

English Muffin

Poached Eggs

  • 4 quarts water
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 large eggs

Hollandaise Sauce

  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

Eggs Benedict

  • 8 slices Canadian bacon, thinly sliced

Specialized Hardware

Procedure

English Muffin

  • Combine the flour, nonfat dry milk, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 10 seconds.
  • Put the water and shortening in microwave-safe container and heat to 120 to 130ºF, approximately 2 minutes. Stir until the shortening is thoroughly melted. Add the water mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until well combined, stopping to scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing, about 3 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  • The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator, uncover, and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.
  • Position the 8 cans on a half-sheet pan and generously spray the rings and pan with nonstick spray. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of oats in the bottom of each ring. Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or disher, scoop the dough into the rings, dividing it evenly between the rings. Sprinkle each top with 1/2 teaspoon of oats. Cover with parchment and let sit in a warm place for 60 minutes.
  • Heat oven to 400ºF.
  • Leave the parchment in place and set a second half-sheet pan on top. Bake for 20 minutes then remove the top half-sheet pan. Continue to bake until the muffins reach an internal temperature of 210ºF on an instant-read thermometer and are lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
  • With the muffins still in the rings, remove the pan to a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the perimeter of each ring to loosen. Set aside to cool completely.

Poached Eggs

  • Put 4 (6-ounce) custard cups in a deep, 6-quart straight-sided saute pan or rondeau. Add 4 quarts of water or enough to cover the cups by at least 1/4 inch. Add the vinegar and salt to the water and put the pan over high heat. Heat just until the water begins to boil and the cups clatter against the bottom of the pan, 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Adjust the heat to maintain a water temperature of 205ºF outside the cups. Break the eggs, 1 at a time, into another custard cup or ladle. Pour the eggs slowly into each of the cups, timing them about 10 seconds apart. Cook for 5 minutes each.
  • Remove eggs from cups and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Refrigerate for up to 6 hours in the ice bath. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

Hollandaise Sauce

  • Put one inch of water in a large saucepanover medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low.
  • Place egg yolks and water in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until it lightens in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar and whisk for another 30 seconds.
  • Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until there is a clear line that is drawn in the mixture when you pull your whisk through, or the mixture coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Remove the bowl from over the pan, gradually add the butter, one piece at a time, and whisk until all of the butter is incorporated. Place the bowl back over the simmering water occasionally so it will be warm enough the melt the butter. Add the salt, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Serve immediately or hold in a thermos to keep warm.

Eggs Benedict

  • To build Eggs Benedict: Put the julienned Canadian bacon in 10-inch saute pan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through and beginning to turn lightly brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the bacon in the pan to keep warm until serving.
  • Reheat eggs: Bring water to a simmer, turn off the heat, and add the eggs. Wait 1 to 2 minutes or until warmed through.
  • For each serving, put 2 small dollops of hollandaise on a plate and set half an English muffin on top of each dollop. Put a small amount of Canadian bacon on top of each half and top with 1 warm poached egg and drizzle with hollandaise. Repeat with remaining ingredients and serve immediately.