(NEWS10) – A lightly toasted English muffin, Canadian bacon, a gooey poached egg and that delicious hollandaise sauce, Eggs Benedict is a brunch staple here in the U.S. April 16 celebrates all things, Eggs Benedict!
No, they weren’t named after America’s most famous traitor Benedict Arnold, but there is some dispute on when and who created the dish.
Delmonico’s in Lower Manhattan claims the dish was created in their ovens in 1860. A previous Delmonico’s chef, Charles Ranhofer, also published the recipe for Eggs à la Benedick in 1894.
In 1942, former Wall Street stockbroker Lemuel Benedict told The New Yorker that he wandered into the Waldorf Hotel in 1894 looking for something to eat to cure his hangover. He ordered “buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon, and a hooker of hollandaise”. The maître d’hôtel was so impressed he added the dish to the breakfast and lunch menu. He did substitute the bacon for ham and the toast for an English muffin, according to Benedict.
A final claim explains that the dish was actually created by Commodore E. C. Benedict. Edward P. Montgomery wrote a food columnist for The New York Times in 1967 saying he had a recipe for the dish created by the commodore. Montgomery included the recipe he said he had received through his uncle, a friend of the commodore. This recipe varies greatly from Ranhofer’s recipe, especially in the preparation of the hollandaise sauce.
Whoever invented the dish we thank you for creating arguably one of the best breakfast dishes out there. Happy National Eggs Benedict Day, if you want to make it yourself, try this recipe from Allrecipes.
Eggs Benedict Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 pinch ground white pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup butter, melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 eggs
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 8 strips Canadian-style bacon
- 4 English muffins, split
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
Directions:
- To Make Hollandaise: Fill the bottom of a double boiler part-way with water. Make sure that water does not touch the top pan. Bring water to a gentle simmer. In the top of the double boiler, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon water.
- Add the melted butter to egg yolk mixture 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time while whisking yolks constantly. If hollandaise begins to get too thick, add a teaspoon or two of hot water. Continue whisking until all butter is incorporated. Whisk in salt, then remove from heat. Place a lid on pan to keep sauce warm.
- Preheat oven on broiler setting. To Poach Eggs: Fill a large saucepan with 3 inches of water. Bring water to a gentle simmer, then add vinegar. Carefully break eggs into simmering water, and allow to cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Yolks should still be soft in center. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon and set on a warm plate.
- While eggs are poaching, brown the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and toast the English muffins on a baking sheet under the broiler.
- Spread toasted muffins with softened butter, and top each one with a slice of bacon, followed by one poached egg. Place 2 muffins on each plate and drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve immediately.
