Eggs Benedict
Fluffy biscuits, salty pancetta, softly poached eggs and a luscious hollandaise sauce... the ultimate comfort breakfast dish.
Ingredients
The Biscuits
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons butter, very cold, cubed or shredded
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cups full fat buttermilk
The Poached Eggs
- 4 large eggs
- a pinch of salt and black pepper
The Hollandaise Sauce
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 large eggs yolks
- 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
Assembly
- 4 thick slices of pancetta, bacon or ham, cooked to your liking (optional)
- chives or spring onions, thinly chopped (garnish)
- a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional garnish)
Instructions
The Biscuits
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/3 cups of flour, 1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
- Add 6 tablespoons of frozen cubed or grated butter and cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is evenly distributed and worked down to pea sized pieces
- Add 1/2 cup of buttermilk and mix with a silicone spatula a soft dough begins to form
- Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface
- Lightly knead the dough to bring it together and then roll it out into a rectangle that is approximately 1 inch thick
- Cut out 3-4 biscuits using a 2 1/2 or 3 inch rounded dough or cookie cutter
- Transfer the biscuits onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place them into the freezer
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
- Once the oven is preheated, remove the biscuits from the freezer, brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter and place them directly into the 450 degree oven
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown
- Transfer the biscuits onto a cooling rack and brush with remaining melted butter
The Poached Eggs
- After you remove the biscuits from the oven, reduce the heat in the oven to 350 degrees (to speed this process up, hold the oven door open for about 30 seconds or so to allow some of the hot air to escape)
- In a standard size cupcake tin, add 1 tablespoon of water into each cup (even though you are not using each cup for eggs, adding water into each cup will prevent the dry cups from scorching in the heat)
- Crack 1 egg into 4 of the cups (4 eggs total) and season with salt and pepper
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes for a runny yolk or 12-13 minutes for a more set yolk
- Once the eggs are done, very gently scoop the eggs out using a slotted spoon and set them aside for now
The Hollandaise
- Add 3 large egg yolks, 4 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and a pinch of cayenne into the carafe of a blender and pulse for 15 seconds to combine
- Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan until it is fully melted and very hot
- Remove the center insert from the lid of the blenders carafe. With the blender on low speed, slowly add the hot butter into the egg yolks and mix for about 30 seconds or until you have a thick sauce
- Make the hollandaise sauce last and serve it immediately
Assembly
- Cut a biscuit in half and place it on a plate open faced
- Top each half with a slice of pancetta, bacon or ham (if using)
- Gently place a poached egg on to each half
- Spoon your desired amount of hollandaise sauce over each poached egg
- Top with thin sliced chives or spring onion and additional pinch of cayenne
- Serve immediately