Recipe of the week: Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict was invented at Delmonico’s — America’s first restaurant — in the late 1860s by Chef Charles Ranhofer. The dish, which was named for a regular Delmonico’s patron at the time, Mrs. LeGrand Benedict, consists of warm toasted brioche rounds topped with proscuitto cotto, poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce, and an elegant touch of Osetra caviar.
Ingredients
Eggs Benedict
12 ¾ inch thick slices of brioche cut into rounds
3 tablespoons unsalted butter –room temperature
¼ lb. prosciutto cotto thinly sliced (cut into rounds the same size as brioche)
¼ cup white vinegar
12 poached eggs
Hollandaise sauce
Hollandaise sauce
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Dash Tabasco sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
½ cup clarified butter
Salt & pepper to taste
1oz Osetra caviar
Directions
Hollandaise sauce
Whisk egg yolks, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce in a stainless steel bowl over a double boiler of lightly simmering water until the eggs have doubled in volume slowly drizzle in clarified butter while continuing to whisk vigorously until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper and keep in warm place until ready for use. If the sauce thickens add a few drops of water.
Prosciutto cotto
In a medium nonstick skillet lightly brown prosciutto cotto rounds and keep warm.
Toasted brioche
Lightly brush brioche rounds with room temperature butter. Toast till golden brown on both sides.
Poached eggs
Fill a 10 inch skillet half full with water, add ¼ cup white vinegar & bring to slow boil and reduce to a low simmer. Slowly break eggs one at a time into water and cook till egg white has set (3 minutes). Remove eggs with slotted spoon and drain.
To assemble
Place warm toasted brioche rounds on plate, top with prosciutto cotto, place poached eggs on prosciutto and top with hollandaise sauce. Garnish with Osetra caviar.
Thank you to Delmonico’s, New York City, USA, for the recipe.
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Even before I cut out animal products I did not love eggs benedict! I can appreciate the luxury in the dish, but it really wasn’t for me – a bit too fattening too! I could certainly vegan-ise this dish, in fact I might make it a mission of mine to do so! I haven’t seen a vegan eggs benedict available anywhere so far
It’s my understanding that Eggs Benedict has ham (or bacon) in it by definition, so I’m not sure you could do a vegan version of the dish. There is of course Eggs Florentine where you can substitute the ham/bacon with spinach… (but beware, I think some versions of Eggs Florentine involve just adding spinach rather than using it as a replacement).
Eggs benedict is one of my favourite breakfasts. I always mess up when making the hollandaise sauce, but I’ll give this recipe a go. Breakfast is my favourite meal, you can’t go wrong with eggs.