Eggs Benedict

We used to have eggs Benedict fairly often growing up. For some reason I didn't like them. I had a thing about eggs for a while. Thought they upset my tummy. I've reintroduced them to my diet (and had a food allergy test) and I seem ok now, so yay! 

Don't make fun of our lumpy poached eggs.
It was our first time making them!

Some fun history on eggs Benedict. The name sounds a little fancy, in my mind, so I thought it was an old European dish for hoity toity people. Nope! There are several places claiming creation of the dish, and none are in Europe. New York gets the glory! One theory is the dish was created for a regular patron at Delmonico's Restaurant in Manhattan (Mrs. LeGrand Benedict) in the 1860s. Another is that an inebriated guest (Lemuel Benedict) ordered the ingredients at the Waldorf Hotel and the presiding chef realized this would be a delicious dish and put it on the menu around 1894. The plot thickens, however: the chef at the Waldorf Hotel previously worked at Delmonico's Restaurant...in the 1860s!

• 1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
• 4 extra large eggs
• 4 slices Canadian bacon or ham
• 2 English muffins
• Ingredients for Hollandaise sauce
  

Follow the instructions for making the Hollandaise sauce in the previous link.

In a large, high-sided skillet, bring enough water to cover eggs to a lively simmer, with small columns of bubbles rising gently. Add vinegar to the water. Crack and egg into a small bowl. Bring the bowl's edge as close as possible to the water and gently slip the egg into the water. Repeat for all eggs. Set a timer for 3 to 3:30 minutes. Once eggs are done, place them on a paper-towel lined plate.

Meanwhile, open the English muffins and arrange cut-side up. Place a slice of bacon or ham on each muffin half. Place in toaster oven for about 4 minutes, or until desired crispness is achieved.

To serve, place two English muffin halves on each plate, cut side up, with the ham or bacon on each half. Place a poached egg on top of the ham and top with a generous spoonful of Hollandaise sauce. If you like a little spice, try sprinkling some cayenne pepper on the top.

Serves 2

Total Time: 10 minutes

Recipe modified from SweetTeaAndThyme.com