Kitchen therapy
Take your time to slowly whisk and patiently bring together the ultimate hollandaise sauce for this stress-free classic weekend brunch
The stress-free guide to perfect eggs benedict
Eggs benedict
30 MINUTES | SERVES 2 4 AS A BRUNCH EASY
white wine vinegar 3 tbsp
eggs (we used Clarence Court Burford Browns) 7, 3 separated (freeze the extra whites for meringues or keep for three days covered in the fridge)
whole black peppercorns 5 bay leaf 1 unsalted butter 150g, at room temperature, cubed, plus more for spreading
lemon ½, a squeeze of juice
english muffins 2
cooked ham 4 thick slices chives or cayenne pepper to serve
1 Put 2 tbsp of the vinegar, three egg yolks, the peppercorns, bay leaf and a small pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl set over a small pan of justsimmering water over a very low heat. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Whisk for 30 seconds until light and foamy.
2 Drop a cube of the butter into the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Add the cubes one at a time, ensuring each has melted and combined with the sauce before adding the next. Once the hollandaise has started to thicken, you can add a few cubes at a time. This will take a little while but patience, and the continual whisking will create a foolproof hollandaise. It should take about 10 minutes to incorporate all the butter.
3 Once all the butter has been added and you’re left with a thick, glossy hollandaise, check the seasoning. Fish out the bay and peppercorns. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste, and a little salt and white pepper if needed. 4 Pour away most of the water from the pan underneath, leaving a few centimetres of hot water. Put the hollandaise bowl back over, off the heat. This will keep the hollandaise warm while you poach the eggs. Stir every now and then to prevent a skin forming. The hollandaise will sit for up to 30 minutes like this. Add 1-2 tbsp of water if your hollandaise becomes too thick while sitting.
5 Bring a large pan of water to the boil, and add the remaining vinegar. Prepare a bowl of cold water to dunk the cooked eggs into. Stir a whirlpool in the simmering water, and crack an egg into a mug. Lower the mug to the surface of the water and carefully slip the egg into the centre of the whirlpool. Cook for 2 minutes, until the white has set, and then remove with a slotted spoon into the cold water. Repeat with the remaining eggs – it’s better to cook them separately so you can achieve the perfect yolks each time. Once the eggs are all in the water bath they will sit here quite happily for 30 minutes until ready to serve. Keep the water simmering over a low heat.
6 To serve, split and lightly toast the muffins. Spread with a little butter, and divide between warmed plates. Layer over the ham.
7 Carefully lower the poached eggs back into the simmering water for 30 seconds, just to heat through, then lift out. Pat with kitchen paper, then add to the muffins on top of the ham. Give the hollandaise a final stir, then add a generous spoonful over the eggs. Garnish with chives or a pinch of cayenne pepper, if you like.
PER SERVING 4 533 kcals | fat 42.1G saturates 22.8G | carbs 13.2G | sugars 1.5G fibre 0.9G | protein 24.8G | salt 1.9G
take your time
The art to a good hollandaise is patience and controlling the heat, slowly adding the butter to the sauce cube by cube. Ensuring each cube has melted and combined before adding the next creates a gorgeously glossy and thick sauce. Keeping it warm over the water off the heat, gives you ample time to poach the eggs without having to multitask.
transferable skills
Once you’ve got the hang of the slow and steady technique for making hollandaise, why not carry this little bit of kitchen therapy over to making other similar sauces? To make a béarnaise, great with steak, simply swap the bay for a sprig of tarragon, and remove with the peppercorns, then fold in finely chopped tarragon and chervil just before serving. Or make a paloise, perfect served with lamb – just fold in finely chopped mint once the hollandaise has been made.