THE BEST EGGS BENEDICT

The Best Eggs Benedict image

We engineered this classic brunch dish to guarantee your success. By getting the muffins and bacon ready in advance and keeping them warm in the oven, you can focus on poaching a perfect egg. A blender makes an easy, foolproof hollandaise sauce. We added plenty of lemon to make it bright and tangy.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
4 English muffins, split
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus more for spreading
8 slices Canadian bacon
4 large egg yolks plus 8 large eggs
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, plus more for serving

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Fill a large saucepan with 2 quarts water. Add the vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, toast the English muffins until golden brown. Spread with butter and place on one side of a baking sheet. Keep warm in the oven.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook until heated through, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer the bacon to the other side of the baking sheet to keep warm.
Melt the remaining butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the yolks, lemon juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the cayenne to a blender. Blend for 1 minute. With the blender running, pour the melted butter very slowly through the open hole of the blender lid until smooth, thick and emulsified. Transfer the sauce back to the saucepan and place in the oven to keep warm.
Crack the whole eggs into small cups or glasses. If your simmering water has reduced too much, add a bit more water and bring back to a steady simmer. When the water is at a steady simmer, slip the eggs into the water in one quick motion, arranging them clockwise in the pan so you know which will be ready first.. Poach the eggs until the whites are firm but the yolks are still runny, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
Top each muffin half with a slice of Canadian bacon and a poached egg. Pour hollandaise sauce over each muffin. (If the sauce has thickened too much, whisk it with a tablespoon of water.) Sprinkle each serving with a little cayenne and serve immediately.