Eggs benedict

Eggs Benedict is a traditional American breakfast or brunch dish that consists of two halves of an English muffin each topped with a poached egg, ham or bacon, and hollandaise sauce. The dish was popularized in New York City.

History

The origins of Eggs Benedict are not clear. One account claims that it was created as a cure for a hangover. Another story attributes the dish to Lemuel Benedict, a Wall Street broker, who ordered "buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon, and a hooker of hollandaise" at the Waldorf Hotel in 1894. The maître d'hôtel was so impressed with the dish that he put it on the breakfast and luncheon menus but substituted English muffin and ham for the toast and bacon.

Preparation

The main ingredients in Eggs Benedict are English muffin, poached eggs, ham or bacon, and hollandaise sauce. The English muffin is split and toasted, then each half is topped with ham or bacon, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce, a rich, creamy sauce made from egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice. The dish is usually garnished with a sprinkle of paprika or chopped chives.

Variations

There are many variations of Eggs Benedict. Some of the most popular include:

• Eggs Blackstone substitutes streaky bacon for the ham and adds a tomato slice.
• Eggs Florentine substitutes spinach for the ham or adds it underneath.
• Eggs Mornay replaces the hollandaise with Mornay sauce.
• Eggs Atlantic, Eggs Hemingway, or Eggs Copenhagen replaces the ham with smoked salmon.
• Huevos Benedictos replaces the English muffin, ham and hollandaise sauce with an arepa, chorizo and aji sauce.
• Eggs Hussarde substitutes Holland rusks for the English muffin and adds Bordelaise sauce.
• Irish Benedict replaces the ham with corned beef or Irish bacon.

See also

• List of brunch foods
• List of egg dishes