Eggs Benedict

Fancy Fancy Fancy Fancy.

Ingredients: (makes 4 servings)
*For the Hollandaise Sauce*
-1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
-3 egg yolks
-1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
-1/4 tsp. smoked or normal paprika
-Salt & pepper to taste
*For the Poached Eggs*
-4 eggs
-1 tbs. white vinegar
-Salt
*Assembly/Other Ingredients*
-4 English muffins (the whole thing)
-Reg. Bacon or Canadian Bacon (4-8 slices depending on what you like)

---

Step 1: To make the Hollandaise sauce, melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat until foamy for about 3-4 minutes. In a bowl, add in the egg yolks along with 2 tsp. of water. Whisk together while slowly adding in the melted butter little by little until incorporated. Add in lemon juice,paprika,salt,and pepper to taste. Cover sauce with plastic wrap directly on its surface to prevent forming a skin and set aside.
Step 2: Poach the eggs by filling a medium pot with about 3 inches of water. Add in vinegar and season with salt,bring that to a simmer.(look for a few bubbles but not boiling) Crack in your egg and let the egg white envelope the yolk. After around 4 minutes,check to see if the egg white is firm. If it is, take out using a slotted spoon or let it cook for about another minute until done. Repeat to the rest of the eggs.
Step 3: After setting the poached eggs aside, the assembly begins. Using a toaster, toast the English muffins until crisp and golden brown. Cook your bacon/ham until it gets pretty crisp. 
Step 4: Assemble by placing the bacon/ham on one half of the muffin and  your egg on top of the meat. Spoon the Hollandaise sauce onto the egg and garnish with parsley,chives,or dill,and sea salt and black pepper.

---

Eggs Benedict is a popular american breakfast that looks and tastes fancy. The Hollandaise sauce may seem intimidating but, it really isn't that hard once you figure it out. While making this dish, my sauce was bit too thin than normal. I found that one solution is to cook and stir it more on low heat. This allows the egg yolks in the sauce to cook more making the sauce thicker. During the first round of poaching eggs, one of my eggs actually sank down to the bottom of the pot making it hard to see if it was ready or not and getting out. I learned that you just watch the eggs carefully and maybe have a spoon underneath the egg in case it ever does start to sink to the bottom. Overall, this dish is perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch and is super delicious. -Elena