Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 35 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4)
* 8 50g free-range eggs
* Pinch salt
* 8 slices ham speck (see note)
* 1/2 baguette (French stick), thickly diagonally sliced
* 50g butter, at room temperature (optional)
* 1/2 bunch fresh chives, cut into 5cm lengths
*
Easy hollandaise sauce
* 200g unsalted butter
* 3 egg yolks
* 1 tbs fresh lemon juice, or to taste
* 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
* 2 tbs hot water
* Ground black pepper, to taste
Method
1.
Preheat grill on high and line a baking tray with foil. Poach eggs as directed in the basic poached eggs recipe (see related recipes).
2.
To make the easy hollandaise sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Use a metal spoon to skim any foam from the surface. Pour the clear yellow butter into a heatproof jug. Discard milky residue. Place egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and 1/2 the hot water in a blender. Blend on high until mixture is pale and thickens slightly. With the motor running, add hot butter in a thin, steady stream. Add remaining water to thin the sauce slightly. Season with pepper, and extra lemon juice and salt, if necessary. Half fill a large bowl with warm water (if water is too hot, the sauce will curdle). Pour sauce into a small bowl and place in the large bowl.
3.
Place the ham speck on the lined tray. Cook under preheated grill, turning once, for 4-6 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
4.
Place the baguette slices on the lined tray and cook under preheated grill, turning once, until toasted. Spread with the butter, if desired. Turn the grill off and cover the bread with foil to keep warm.
5.
Reheat eggs by bringing a clean pan of water to the boil then removing it from heat. Add eggs. Stand, covered, for 1 minute. Remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
6.
Place toasted bread on serving plates and top with ham and eggs. Stir hollandaise sauce and drizzle over the eggs. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Notes
*
Ham speck is cured, smoked pork. If you can't find it, use thinly sliced ham instead.
*
Variation: To make eggs benedict with smoked salmon, replace the ham speck with 200g sliced smoked salmon (do not cook).
Source: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/11187/eggs+benedict
