Classic Eggs Benedict With Blender Hollandaise Recipes

CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT WITH BLENDER HOLLANDAISE

Steps:

• Make the hollandaise:
• Cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted and foamy. Pour into a spouted measuring cup leaving milk solids in bottom of pot; discard milk solids.
• Blend egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1 tsp. water in a blender until smooth. Remove small inset lid from top and, with the motor running, slowly pour in butter in a thin stream. Add salt and blend until creamy. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice, if needed. Transfer to a glass bowl, measuring cup, or small pot. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface so a skin doesn't form, then place close to stovetop to keep warm up to 1 hour. If hollandaise seems too thick when you're ready to serve, whisk in warm water 1 tsp. at a time.
• Assemble the eggs Benedict:
• Heat a large pot of salted water over high until tiny bubbles appear on the bottom (water temperature should be about 180°F). Reduce heat to very low to maintain the temperature.
• Meanwhile, using a toaster, toaster oven, or oven set at 400°F, toast English muffins until golden brown. Slather muffins with butter and divide among plates.
• Heat a dry large skillet over medium-high and cook bacon until browned and warmed through, 2-3 minutes per side. Top each muffin half with bacon.
• Adjust heat so water temperature is about 180°F. For perfectly shaped poached eggs with minimal wispy egg white strands, set a medium-sized fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl, then gently transfer to strainer. Gently swirl for a few seconds to allow any stray whites to drain, then scrape bottom of strainer on lip of bowl to remove any excess.
• With egg still in strainer, carefully lower into hot water until egg is completely submerged. Gently shake and swirl strainer, shaping egg with a slotted spoon. When edges of egg white start to turn opaque (about 30 seconds), carefully release egg from strainer with slotted spoon into water.
• Cook egg, flipping occasionally with slotted spoon, until white is opaque and firm and yolk is plump and jiggles slightly to the touch, 3-3 1/2 minutes more. While first egg is cooking, repeat steps to cook remaining eggs, but keep an eye on which went in first. Use a timer to avoid overcooking.
• When egg is ready, carefully remove from hot water with slotted spoon. To serve immediately, place a paper towel under spoon and shake spoon gently to remove excess water. Transfer egg to an oiled plate or rimmed baking sheet, or place 1 egg on top of each piece of bacon.
• Spoon a few tablespoons of hollandaise over eggs. Top with chives and a light dusting of paprika, if desired. Serve immediately.
• Do Ahead
• To poach eggs in advance, immediately transfer poached eggs to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Transfer to a resealable container filled with cold water (eggs should be fully submerged) and chill up to 3 days. To serve, place eggs in a bowl of hot tap water until they feel warm to the touch, about 2 minutes.
• Hollandaise can made 2 days ahead; press plastic wrap directly on surface and chill. To serve, fill a saucepan with a few inches of water and set a heatproof bowl on top (bottom of bowl should not touch water). Bring water to a simmer over medium-low heat and transfer hollandaise to bowl. Gently reheat sauce, whisking occasionally, until warm. If it's too thick, whisk in hot tap water 1 tsp. at a time.

EGGS BENEDICT WITH BLENDER HOLLANDAISE

Steps:

• For the Blender Hollandaise, place 3 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and dash of cayenne into the blender.
• Cover, quickly pulse on and off.
• Heat 1/2 cup butter until melted and bubbling.
• Turn blender onto high speed and slowly pour the butter into the egg mixture.
• Blend until thick and fluffy (about 30 seconds); it makes approximately 2/3 cup of sauce.
• For each serving, toast 1/2 of an English muffin.
• Place a thin slice of oven-broiled ham on each half.
• Top each muffin half with a soft poached egg.
• Pour sauce over the eggs and sprinkle with paprika.
• Serve immediately.

EGGS BENEDICT AND EASY HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Break each egg into an individual small bowl and set aside. Fill a large (12-inch) saute pan about half full with water and bring to a boil. Carefully slide each egg into a separate corner of the pan and simmer for exactly 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the eggs to sit in the water for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the slices of prosciutto on a sheet pan and roast for 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Place both halves of each toasted muffin on a dinner plate and, using a slotted spoon, slide a poached egg onto each half. Drizzle hollandaise sauce over the poached eggs and garnish with chives. Serve with a slice of prosciutto.
• Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in the jar of a blender and process on low for 15 seconds. Melt the butter in a small saucepan until it is sizzling hot. Remove the small clear insert in the top of the blender. With the blender on low, slowly add the hot butter to the egg and lemon mixture and blend for 30 seconds, until the sauce is very thick. Use immediately.
• "Barefoot Contessa Foolproof" by Ina Garten © Clarkson Potter 2012. Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. All rights reserved.

CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT

Steps:

• For the hollandaise: Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume.
• Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler), the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble.
• Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt.
• Cover top tightly with foil and place in a warm spot until ready to use. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.
• For the poached eggs: Fill a medium high-sided pot with 3 inches of water. Add vinegar, season with salt and bring to a simmer. (Look for just a few bubbles; it should never boil.) Gently crack an egg into a ramekin and then slowly slide it into the center of the pot, letting the water swirl around it and allowing the white to envelop the yolk. Repeat with 3 more eggs.
• Cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 4 minutes. Once the eggs are perfectly poached, remove from the water using a slotted spoon and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and season the top with salt and pepper. Set eggs aside.
• For assembly: Preheat the broiler. Put the muffins in a single layer, cut-side up on a baking sheet, place under the broiler and broil until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes depending on how powerful your broiler is. Turn the muffins over, and broil for 1 minute longer.
• Turn the muffins back over so that the cut-side is facing up again. Remove and butter the top of each. Top each muffin with a slice of the bacon, return under the broiler and broil until the bacon is lightly golden brown and just warmed through, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on how powerful the broiler is.
• Top each muffin half with an egg, pour about 1/4 cup of the sauce over each, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and pepper and garnish with chives and herbs.

CLASSIC EGGS BENEDICT AND VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Sear the Canadian bacon in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 minute per side.
• Split and toast the English muffin.
• Poach the eggs as directed on page 75.
• Arrange the muffin halves on a plate. Top each half with the bacon and then the poached eggs. Pour hollandaise sauce over the top and serve immediately.
• Trim and wash (several times) one bunch of spinach. Steam the spinach, squeeze it dry in a clean kitchen towel, and coarsely chop it with a sharp knife into 1/4-inch pieces. Before serving, sauté the spinach in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Add a little diced onion or garlic, if you like. Season the spinach with salt and pepper and substitute the spinach for the Canadian bacon.
• Substitute thin slices of smoked salmon for the Canadian bacon. Don't cook the smoked salmon as this will ruin its creamy texture and make it more like cooked salmon. For an additional variation, try Smoked Salmon Florentine by adding spinach (see above). The bright orange salmon is beautiful with the green spinach, the white egg, and the pale yellow hollandaise. Make sure the hollandaise isn't steaming hot when you pour it over the salmon or it will cook the salmon.
• Slice a firm green tomato into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Soak the slices for 5 minutes in buttermilk. Dredge the slices in yellow or white cornmeal seasoned with salt and pepper. To fry the tomatoes, put 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet and allow the oil to get good and hot (375°F), but not smoking. Fry the tomatoes on both sides for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove them from the pan and pat dry with paper towels. To place the poached eggs on the tomatoes, make an indentation in the tomatoes with a spoon for the eggs to sit in or they may roll off to the side.
• Similar variations are to substitute the fried green tomatoes for the Canadian bacon, to serve the fried green tomatoes in addition to the Canadian bacon, or to serve Fried Green Tomatoes Benedict with slab bacon.
• For a nice southern touch, substitute Bubby's Variation on Mr. Beard's Cream Biscuits (page 54), sliced in half, for the English muffins. Or, instead of hollandaise sauce, try Sausage Gravy (page 186).
• First make the Béarnaise Sauce (page 287). For the tenderloin, cut 1/2-inch-thick slices of raw beef tenderloin and season well with salt and pepper (we use very good sea salt, which makes all the difference). Heat a cast-iron skillet to smoking hot and add a very small amount of vegetable oil. Very quickly sear the tenderloin pieces, keeping them very rare. For medium rare, sear for 45 to 60 seconds on each side. Use the seared tenderloin in place of Canadian bacon and top with the béarnaise sauce.
• Substitute one-half fillet smoked trout, warmed for 1 minute in a toaster oven or broiler, for the Canadian bacon. Top with Béarnaise Sauce (page 287) instead of hollandaise.