There's nothing complicated about any single part of Eggs Benedict -- it's just three things happening at once. Do the sauce first and the rest is easy.
Ingredients
- 2 English muffins, split
- 4 slices of ham or bacon
- 4 eggs, for poaching
- 1 batch hollandaise sauce
- Chives or black pepper, to finish
Method
- Make the hollandaise first and keep it somewhere warm.
- Toast the muffin halves and warm the ham or bacon in a pan.
- Poach the eggs (see our poached eggs guide) for a soft, runny yolk.
- Build each half: muffin, ham, a poached egg, then a generous spoonful of hollandaise.
- Finish with black pepper or chives and serve immediately.
Who invented it? Nobody really knows -- there are a few competing stories from 19th-century New York restaurants, and none of them has ever been settled. Take any confidently-told version with a pinch of salt.
Related reading
You'll need poached eggs and hollandaise sauce for this one. See all egg recipes.