Holiday Eggs Benedict
I learned early on after we arrived in France that brunch is a concept that has yet to catch on and take hold here. French breakfasts generally consist of coffee, tartine and confiture or a plain yogurt to start the day. In our family Eggs Benedict is reserved for holiday breakfasts or slower Sunday mornings. This recipe features fresh salmon that we smoke at home, and eggs from our hens with a lemony hollandaise sauce that is featured in my new cookbook.
Part 1 - Mise-en-place
Makes four servings.
Gather the basic ingredients:
4 large eggs to poach (see notes for method)
8 pieces of smoked salmon - approx. 6 oz / 170 grams
1/2 baguette cut into 4 long rectangular slices
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup hollandaise sauce - recipe below
Fresh dill
Part 2 - Method
Making Eggs Benedict is a multistep process. I always start with the hollandaise sauce which once finished, can sit on a back burner and be reheated before serving.
Hollandaise is a standard sauce for this dish, many fish dishes and as a sauce for vegetables like asparagus. Although it is a basic sauce made with very few ingredients, it can be tricky to master. Be sure to check the tips below to learn how to save a thick or split sauce.
For the sauce:
1/2 cup / 110 grams of unsalted or clarified butter
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
3 egg yolks, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice and set aside. Using a double-boiler or bain marie, melt the butter and once melted, remove from heat. Temper the eggs (to prevent scrambling) by adding a few spoons of warm melted butter to the yolks and then encourperate the yolks into the remaining melted butter and lemon juice mixture. Add the mustard and return to a simmer on the stove until ready to use.
Tips: If the sauce over thickens, remove the pan from the heat and whisk a drizzle of very hot water to loosen the consistency. You can also add cream to the sauce if it ‘splits’ when reheating.
Part 3 - Bringing it all together
Toast the pieces of baguette and butter each slice. Lay the pieces of smoke salmon on each piece and top with one poached egg per serving followed by a generous spoon of hollandaise sauce.
Garnish with fresh herbs like dill, parsley or fennel.
Tips: Poaching an egg
To poach an egg, crack eggs individually first into a small glass bowl. Bring a pan of water, filled at least 3” / 7.5 cm deep, to a simmer. Gently tip the egg into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the egg in the pan for 8-10 minutes. You can spoon the water gently over the top of the yolk to make sure that it is evenly poached. Remove the egg with a slotted staining spoon and rest the spoon on a tea towel to drain. Cut excess pieces off of the egg white if needed.
My new book …
French Kitchen Lessons - Recipes & Stories from Normandy’s Rabbit Hill Farm is available online and from your favorite bookshop!
About the Author
Cat Bude is a cookbook author, writer, photographer & foodie living on a farm in Normandy called Rabbit Hill. She loves to frequent local French markets and hosts and teaches both online and in-person cooking classes. She is also an entrepreneur and business owner with an online shop that features French culinary and vintage items.