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Eggs Benedict – with a twist

eggs benedict

I’m a morning person. During the week I’m up at 5:00, at the gym by 6:00, and at my desk by 8:00. I usually eat breakfast at work; oatmeal, or cereal…something healthy and quick. On the weekend I start out much slower but eventually, around 10:30 or so I decide to make something delicious for breakfast. Today I craved Eggs Benedict. The thing about EB is that making the hollandaise requires 4 ounces of butter and a lot of whisking and tempering the sauce so as not to overcook it. But since I’m still on my Tastes of Spain kick I thought I might be able to make a sauce with olive oil, it might be more like an aioli but it could have a hollandaise texture. A quick check on the interwebs confirmed that this is commonly done with great success and I also discovered the hollandaise in a blender technique which tosses the whisk and tempering worries right out the window.

eggs benedict

Eggs Benedict invites substitution and additions…rather than lame English muffins I used slices of baquette, brushed with garlic and olive oil and grilled on the griddle. Instead of Canadian bacon I used speck (smoked prosciutto).

The hollandaise is easy to put together. Put 3 egg yolks, a tablespoon of hot water, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in the blender jar. Heat 4 ounces of extra-virgin olive oil in the microwave for one minute on high. Process the eggs on the lowest speed for 30 seconds or until well blended. With the motor running on low gradually dribble the olive oil into the blender…don’t try to speed this up, just go really slow and dribble the oil in as the motor runs and it’ll transform into a lovely velvety sauce. Once all the oil is added let the blender process it for 20 seconds more. Pour it over the baquette, speck,egg stack and garnish with some grilled asparagus. Serve immediately.

The olive oil hollandaise has a robust flavor and was easy to put together. It matches well with the speck and the richness of the poached eggs. The baquette was a bit tough but did add a good texture. Best of all this sophisticated looking, great tasting breakfast was ready in less than 10 minutes.

April 5, 2009 | Filed Under asparagus, bread, breakfast, eggs, cheese, dairy, food, pork, quick and easy, recipe 

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12 Responses to “Eggs Benedict – with a twist”

  1. Nezrite on April 5th, 2009

    This looks wonderful, but I admit I take Sundays off and just have eggs benedict at McBob’s on North Avenue. And love it!

  2. Kalyn on April 5th, 2009

    So brilliant! I want some right now.

  3. Sophie on April 6th, 2009

    MMMMM…A classic with a twist!! I love Eggs Benedict on any form og bread!! Love it!! It is so good now that white & green asaparagus come in season!!

  4. Liz! on April 6th, 2009

    Do you know if this hollandaise is reheat-able?

  5. Kristen on April 6th, 2009

    yum! I love eggs benedict. I agree about the blender technique, but I have not tried it with olive oil. sounds fantastic!

  6. Claudia on April 7th, 2009

    What a good idea. I’m going to try it, though will probably go with the good old English muffin underneath.

  7. Style Maniac (Doreen) on April 8th, 2009

    Sunday brunch, here we come! Not many things I like more in life than a gooey egg and crisp toast. Add some bloodies and we’ll be all set. Yummy.

  8. Claudia on April 9th, 2009

    Well, an update. I tried it as an experiment this morning and the blender technique worked a charm, though the olive oil taste was quite pronounced. Maybe a bit more salt & lemon juice plus a dash of pepper, and an unvirgin? oil? I put it on a lightly toasted sesame bagel, cut in half, used the prosciutto, which was perfect, and fresh arugula on the side. I love doing food experiments.

  9. Sues on April 9th, 2009

    Ahhh eggs benedict is definitely way high up on my list of favorite foods. And this? Looks absolutely amazing!!

  10. Dana on April 10th, 2009

    Vanessa, this… THIS… is why I’m SO glad you’re blogging again. Because I am WAY too much of a bum to make proper hollandaise, so I need geniuses like you to come up with Blender Hollandaise. MISSED YA!

    PS: I dig a corn cake under my Benedict.

  11. Jude on April 15th, 2009

    the hollandaise is making me drool. need to brush up on my sauce making skills.

  12. Helen on May 11th, 2009

    This version sounds just perfect, must try it! Doubt that it will look as good as on your pictures, as long as the taste’s right.

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