eggs benedict with smoked salmon

How to make eggs benedict with smoked salmon recipe - The combination of salty protein and rich, creamy sauce is irresistible in this classic breakfast dish.

MAKES 4

PREP TIME 15 mins, COOK TIME 10 mins

Ingredients
4 eggs
2–4 English muffins
51⁄2oz (150g) smoked salmon

For the sauce:
7 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
1⁄2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1 To make the hollandaise sauce, melt the butter over gentle heat, taking care it does not split. Put the egg yolk, lemon juice, and seasoning into a blender and process briefly. With the motor running, pour in the melted butter drop by drop, accelerating to a thin stream, until it has emulsified to a thick sauce.

2 Boil a large saucepan of salted water, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Crack an egg into a cup and gently slip the egg out of the cup and into the bubbling water. Repeat for all the eggs. Poach for 3 minutes, until the white is set but the yolk is still
runny. Remove with a slotted spoon.

3 At the same time, toast the muffins. If you like thick muffins use 4, cutting a thin slice off each one to add the egg, otherwise split 2 muffins horizontally to make 4 halves. When they are toasted, divide the salmon between them and top each with a poached egg and a little hollandaise sauce.

WHAT’S THE STORY?
The origins of the familiar bacon version of this dish are far from clear. Two different cookbooks, both published in the 1890s, feature recipes for poached eggs and ham on a toasted muffin, smothered in hollandaise sauce. Other sources claim either the famous New York eatery Delmonico’s or the Waldorf Hotel as the birth place of the dish.

eggs benedict with smoked salmon