Eggs Benedict for two or four or 10
Paid Partnership with Conestoga Farms
Today I made this recipe for two because Liz and I wanted to pause and celebrate a special moment as a couple. Between raising kids, hard days at work, financial pressures, household responsibilities, busy schedules, and more, there’s a lot going on in our lives. It can put a strain on relationships. We can get so busy with life, that we forget to take some time to enjoy each other. To do something meaningful. To pause…together.
That pause can be as simple—a walk around the neighbourhood, sharing a bowl of popcorn for a movie night-in, or a delicious eggs benedict breakfast for two. Look…we don’t know the secret to a perfect relationship, but we do know that it’s important to create moments for just us.
Having said that, this recipe can easily be doubled, tripled or made for a crowd. I mean, there’s a dozen eggs in a carton…go to town!
Does the quality of the eggs matter?
Absolutely! The fresher the eggs, the better they taste. Also, that yolk! The beautiful vibrant and rich looking colour you see in our picture wasn’t photoshopped. Conestoga Farms eggs actually look like that! We specifically used their Conestoga Free Run Omega-3 brown.
If you’ve read some of our past posts, you’ll know that I lived in the Azores Islands in Portugal during my teen years. I lived in a small old-school Portuguese village. My parents raised some chickens, and the eggs looked just like these Conestoga Farms eggs—with their and vibrant yolks. This tells me that these eggs are produced with the same care my parents had at our home.
I was actually shocked when I moved back to Canada on my own, as an adult. I was used to having farm-fresh eggs, so I didn’t realize all eggs were not the same. I was disappointed for so long, because I just thought that all the options were the same in Canada. I thought I was stuck with pale yolks and less delicious eggs than I’d enjoyed back in Portugal. When I tried Conestoga eggs, I was taken back to the Azores and the eggs I’d had from our own chickens. It might seem like a little thing, but it was a big deal. Not just for nostalgia’s sake, but also because I’d found a quality I had longed for, and it was right from my local grocer’s fridge. Don’t believe me? By a carton of Conestoga eggs at your local grocery store, do a yolk comparison, and discover this truth for yourself. You’ll never go back.
It’s true that we’ve partnered with Conestoga Farms for this post, but we’ve been buying and enjoying these eggs for years. It was a no-brainer for us when we chatted with them about this collaboration. I like to remind our readers that Liz and I run our blog as a hobby. We have day jobs that we enjoy. We have zero pressure to promote products and services we don’t believe in. We mean it when we say how we feel about a product and/or brand. And we love our Conestoga Farms eggs.
Now… shall we get to some details about a dish you’ve probably thought you could never make on your own at home? You’re about to discover that you can!
Is Hollandaise sauce hard to make?
Not at all. I find that in addition to fresh eggs, the key to great Hollandaise sauce is some elbow grease. When you whisk the ingredients, whisk like you mean it. 💪
You are emulsifying the ingredients when you add the butter to the beaten eggs. This means you’re combining two or more ingredients that don’t normally combine well. If you do this fast enough, you’ll be left with a rich texture, similar to mayo, but slightly runnier.
Hollandaise sauce will start to thicken and harden as soon as it starts to cool. If this happens, add a teaspoon or two of water or lemon juice and whisk again over bain marie (in a bowl, over, but not touching, hot water in a pot).
Is it hard to poach eggs?
Same answer here… not at all. The first and most important tip is to use the freshest eggs possible. Bring water and white vinegar to a delicate simmer. You should see small bubbles on the bottom of the pot, but not a rolling boil.
Rest a small fine mesh sieve over a large mug or small bowl. Crack an egg gently into the sieve and let the liquidier part of the egg white flow through the sieve. Then gently pour the egg into a ramekin, being cautious not to break the yolk.
Use a whisk to create a vortex in the centre of the hot water in the pot. With the water swirling around,bring the ramekin as close as you can to the centre of the rotating water (the vortex) and gently drop in the egg. The motion of the water will keep the egg together, almost like a little ball.
After about 3 to 4 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the poached egg and place it on a paper towel-lined plate, to remove the excess water. That’s it!
Yes, eggs are really good for you!
I was diagnosed with diabetes almost 3 years ago. I had to make lots of changes to my diet in order to get and stay healthy, and continue to eat delicious meals. I was also on a mission to not need meds to control my blood sugar. Eggs became a key part of my diet.
Since then I’ve done blood work many times. So far my cholesterol hasn’t budged and my numbers look good. Cholesterol is what many people worry about with eggs. Here’s a link to an article on WebMD that talks about all the benefits of eggs and demystifies some myths.
The Conestoga Free Run Omega-3 brown are enriched with 1 mg of lutein per egg. Lutein is an antioxidant found in the eye that supports healthy vision. It has been shown to help reduce the risk of developing eye diseases like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Lutein is added to eggs by adding lutein-rich marigold extract to the hens’ diet.
Oh… and they’re great at keeping you full! I often have eggs for breakfast, and I’m rarely hungry before lunch.
What if I want to cook for a crowd?
If you are cooking for more people, here are a few simple tips. Make sure to poach all the eggs first and drain them on paper towel. Then brown the back bacon. Then toast your english muffins on butter. Your last step should be the Hollandaise sauce because you want it rich and nice and hot.
If it’s been a while since the eggs were cooked, while you’re making the Hollandaise, ask someone to help dip each egg in boiling water for about 20 seconds (you’ll over cook the eggs if you leave them longer) with a slotted spoon. Rest the eggs on a paper towel to remove excess moisture, and then start assembling.
Eggs Benedict – The fancy-sounding dish that’s easy to make
Whether it’s a special breakfast for two, a gathering of friends and family, or you’re just craving something a little more special, give our eggs Benedict a try. Please take our advice and use quality eggs. There is a difference, and you’ll be so pleased you did. You’ll be the (positive) talk of the town with your home-chef status…and nobody has to know how easy it was. 😉
Make today special, and make today yummy, friends!
Perfect eggs Benedict for two with Hollandaise sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 slices back bacon Canadian bacon
- 1/4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 split english muffin
- Splash of white vinegar for the water to cook the poached eggs about 2 tbsp give or take, depending on the size of the pot
- 2 large whole eggs at room temperature. Use the freshest eggs you can find. We use Conestoga Farms eggs
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
Hollandaise Sauce:
- 2 large egg yolks at room temperature (use the freshest eggs you can find. We use Conestoga Farms eggs
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 3 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 4 tbsp melted unsalted butter but not hot
- Pinch of kosher salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan on medium-low to medium heat.
- Slightly brown the 4 slices of back bacon on both sides and set aside on a paper towel. This should take roughly 2 minutes per side.
- Wipe down the pan and add the 1/4 tbsp of butter to the pan on medium heat, and spread the butter around the bottom of the pan.
- Place the two english muffin halves on the butter, cut side down.
- Brown the cut sides slightly (about a minute), and set the english muffins aside.
- Heat about 3 to 4 inches of water and a splash of vinegar on medium heat in a medium pot, to a light simmer. You should see small bubbles on the bottom of the pot, but not a rolling boil.
- Do the following steps for each egg. Rest a small fine mesh sieve over a large mug or small bowl. Crack the egg gently into the sieve and let the liquidier part of the egg white flow through the sieve.
- Gently pour the egg into a ramekin, all this while being cautious to not break the yolk.
- Use a whisk to create a vortex in the centre of the hot water in the pot.
- With the water swirling around, pick up one of the ramekins, bring it as close as you can to the centre of the rotating water and gently drop in the egg.
- After about 3 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the poached egg and place it on a paper towel-lined plate, to remove the excess water.
- Repeat the last 3 steps for the second egg.
Start the Hollandaise
- Heat about 3 of inches of water in a medium pot until you’ve reached a rapid simmer (on medium to medium-high heat)
- Place a glass bowl over the top of the pot. The bottom of the bowl shouldn’t touch the water. You’re cooking with steam, and not direct contact.
- Place the two egg yolks in the bowl, add the 1 tsp of vinegar and whisk vigorously until the yolks get foamy. Don’t let the mixture get too hot. Lift the bowl off the pot occasionally to keep it from over-heating if needed, and place it back on.
- Turn off the heat.
- Slowly start to drizzle in the melted butter and whisk vigorously, until well combined. You are emulsifying the mixture during this step and it should have consistency just a touch less thick than mayo.
- Add salt, pepper and lime juice, and whisk until well combined.
- The hollandaise sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a dipped spoon. If the sauce is too thick, add a teaspoon of water from the pot, and whisk again.
- Cover the bowl and leave it on the pot to stay warm in the residual heat.
- Now it’s time to assemble the eggs Benedict.
- Place the English muffin halves on a dish, cut side up.
- Place two slices of back bacon on each English muffin half.
- Carefully place the poached eggs over the bacon.
- Using a large spoon, pour a generous amount of Hollandaise sauce over each egg.
- Sprinkle the chopped chives over the Hollandaise sauce.
- Serve the eggs Benedict with your favourite sides. We served ours with a light arugula and parmesan salad, and fresh fruit.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Use the freshest and best eggs you can find.
- When you see interactions for whisking, whisk fast! You’re emulsifying, meaning your combining ingredients that usually don’t mix well together.
- Make the Hollandaise last to ensure it has the best texture/consistency.
- Don’t skip the vinegar when poaching your eggs. It helps to pull the egg together in the water.
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