Classic Eggs Benedict

The ultimate weekend brunch with perfectly poached eggs, savory Canadian bacon, and rich hollandaise sauce.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Eggs Benedict is the dish that makes people nervous, because it combines two techniques that have a reputation for going wrong: poached eggs and hollandaise. The good news is that neither is as hard as it looks, and both become easy once you know what to look for.

Hollandaise is an emulsion of egg yolks, lemon juice and melted butter. You cook the yolks gently over a double boiler until they thicken, then whisk in the butter in a slow stream. If you add the butter too fast, or the yolks get too hot, it splits. If you go slowly and keep an eye on the heat, it comes together into a thick, glossy, rich sauce.

The recipe serves two, with two eggs each. It takes about 30 minutes in total, and the most important thing is to be ready before you start. The sauce, eggs and muffins all need to come together at the end.

Read this first

1. Have everything ready before you start. The eggs and sauce can’t wait.
2. Keep the double boiler at a gentle simmer. If the yolks get too hot, they scramble.
3. Add the butter slowly while whisking constantly.

Prep time: 20 mins · Cook time: 10 mins · Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 large Eggs
• 2 English muffins, split
• 4 slices Canadian bacon
• 3 Egg yolks (for sauce)
• 1/2 cup Butter, melted (for sauce)
• 1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice (for sauce)
• 1 tbsp White vinegar (for poaching)

Instructions

1. Whisk egg yolks and lemon juice over a double boiler until thickened. Look for: A pale, thick, ribbon-like mixture that leaves a trail when you lift the whisk, with the bowl sitting above (not in) gently steaming water.
2. Slowly stream in the melted butter while whisking constantly until the hollandaise is thick and creamy. Look for: A glossy, smooth, thick sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
3. Poach the eggs in simmering water with a splash of vinegar for 3-4 minutes. Look for: Whites set around soft yolks, with only a few wispy bits.
4. Toast the English muffins and briefly pan-fry the Canadian bacon until warm. Look for: Golden toast and warm bacon with lightly browned edges.
5. Assemble by placing bacon on the muffin halves, topping with a poached egg, and draping with hollandaise. Look for: A golden sauce running over a glossy yolk, and a warm plate.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 900
• Fat: 71g
• Saturated Fat: 38g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 4g
• Protein: 35g
• Sodium: 1120mg
• Cholesterol: 820mg

Notes

• Best Fresh: This is a make-and-serve-immediately dish — hollandaise doesn't reheat well and poached eggs are best straight from the pot.
• Hollandaise Tip: Whisk constantly while streaming in the butter — adding it too fast is the most common reason the sauce splits instead of emulsifying.
• Staggering Components: The hollandaise can be kept warm, not hot, for up to an hour if you need to time the eggs and muffins separately.

Cook It With Me

Set up the double boiler

Bring about an inch of water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Set a heatproof bowl over it, so the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter and keep it warm.

Cook the yolks

Put the 3 egg yolks and the 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in the bowl and whisk constantly over the simmering water until they thicken and turn pale and creamy, a minute or two. If the bowl gets too hot or the yolks start to look scrambled, lift it off the heat and whisk quickly.

Add the butter

Take the bowl off the heat. Slowly pour in the melted butter in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick and creamy. If it gets too thick, add a teaspoon of warm water. Season with a pinch of salt. Keep it warm, covered, off the heat.

Poach the eggs

Bring a wide pot of water to a gentle simmer and stir in the 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Crack each of the 4 eggs into a small cup, then slide them in, a few at a time. Poach for 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a towel.

Toast and warm

While the eggs poach, toast the 2 split English muffins until golden. Warm the 4 slices of Canadian bacon in a dry skillet over medium heat for a minute or two on each side.

Assemble

Put a slice of bacon on each muffin half. Top each with a poached egg and spoon hollandaise generously over the top. Serve at once.

The Ingredients, One by One

Eggs

Four for poaching and three yolks for the sauce. Use the freshest eggs you can. They poach better and make a more stable sauce.

English muffins

Split and toasted until crisp, with nooks that hold the sauce.

Canadian bacon

It is leaner and meatier than regular bacon. Warm it just until it is hot, not crisp.

Butter

Half a cup, melted. Use good butter. It is the main flavor of the sauce.

Lemon juice

It thins the yolks slightly and gives the sauce its tang. Use fresh.

White vinegar

It helps the egg whites set when poaching.

The Technique Behind It

Why a double boiler

Egg yolks scramble at around 160 F. Indirect steam heat lets them thicken without scrambling.

Why the butter goes in slowly

Hollandaise is an emulsion. The yolk can only hold so much fat at once. Adding it slowly lets each bit blend in.

Why you keep it warm, not hot

Too much heat splits the sauce, and cold makes it stiff. A warm spot off the heat works.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Too much heat The yolks scramble.
• Adding the butter too fast The sauce splits.
• A rolling boil for poaching The eggs fall apart.
• Not being ready The sauce thickens or splits while you wait.
• Cold plates The sauce cools quickly.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Sauce split	Too hot or butter added too fast	Whisk a spoonful of hot water in a clean bowl, then slowly whisk in the split sauce.
Sauce is too thick	Cooked too long or cooled	Whisk in a teaspoon of warm water.
Sauce is too thin	Not cooked enough	Whisk over the double boiler a little longer.
Eggs are wispy	Old eggs or water too hot	Strain the eggs first.
Yolks scrambled	Too hot	Start again with fresh yolks.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Canadian bacon	Savory, meaty layer	Ham, smoked salmon or regular bacon work.
English muffins	Base	Toast or biscuits work.
Butter	Rich sauce	Clarified butter makes a stable sauce.
Lemon juice	Tang	White wine vinegar works.
Hollandaise	Sauce	Store-bought is fine in a hurry.

Plan Ahead

• Make ahead: Hollandaise can be held warm for 30 minutes.
• Fridge: Not recommended.
• Reheat: Not recommended.
• Poached eggs: Can be done ahead and rewarmed in hot water.

What to Serve With It

Serve with fresh fruit, roasted potatoes and a mimosa or coffee. A pinch of paprika or cayenne and some chives on top finish the plate.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.