Eggs Benedict with homemade Hollandaise Sauce

Serves 2 portions.

Ingredients

• 2 English muffins
• 4 large eggs + 4 egg yolks
• 4 slices Canadian bacon (can be replaced with ham or American bacon)
• 1 stick / 113 g butter
• juice of 1 lemon or lime
• olive oil
• 1 cup / 250 ml white vinegar (or any light colored vinegar)
• chopped chives or parsley
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

1. Place the English muffin halves and slices of Canadian bacon on a cookie sheet (make sure to use baking sheet paper so that nothing sticks). Drizzle the muffins with a little bit of olive oil, then place everything under the broiler for a few minutes, until the muffins turn golden brown. If your oven doesn't have a broil setting, lightly toast the muffins and bacon in a non-stick frying pan. (Our tip: if you fry the bacon first, and the muffins second in the same pan, the muffins will take over some of that yummy smoked flavor!)
2. Let's poach some eggs while your muffins and bacon are cooking! Mix 1 cup / 250 ml of water in a large bowl with 1 cup / 250 ml of vinegar. Break the eggs one at a time and gently place them in the bowl. Let them soak for about 10 minutes. Your eggs should now be covered in an opaque film, this means they are ready. Do not let the eggs sit in the vinegar water for too long, as this will give them a vinegary taste.
3. Bring a medium-sized, half-full pot of water to a simmer while your eggs are sitting in vinegar water (remember to check on those muffins!). Using a ladle, scoop out the eggs one at a time and gently put them in the pot. Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes while checking on the consistency of the yolk. When the eggs are to your liking, take them out using a ladle strainer and let them sit on a clean towel, to dry off any excess water.
4. Now we'll get the Hollandaise Sauce going. Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, as to not burn it.
5. Separate 4 eggs and mix the yolks with a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender (you can also use a whisk or a hand mixer). Mix in the lemon juice, then slowly start adding the melted butter, one Tablespoon at a time (this will ensure our eggs won't curdle). Mix well each time after adding butter.
6. Once the butter has been incorporated, pour the mixture back into the saucepan (where you melted the butter) and cook on low heat for about 1 minute, while stirring constantly. Remove the saucepan from heat. (the sauce will thickens as it cools, so it's important to move fast for the next stage)
7. Place the broiled/toasted muffin halves on a serving plate and top them with a slice of bacon each. Add one egg on top of each muffin half and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Pour some hollandaise sauce on each egg, sprinkle some chopped chives or fresh parsley, and serve while warm.

*Eggs Benedict are traditionally made with English muffins, however, you can substitute them with any bread you'd like.

**Canadian bacon can be substituted with American bacon, ham, or prosciutto. It can even be replaced with salmon! Make sure to check out our Salmon Eggs Benedict here.