101 Foods: #41 Eggs Benedict

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Eggs Benedict is a dish that claims several creators. All with the last name Benedict and all around the same time period (late 1800s to early 1900s). Today, this is a dish that is a staple for many "upscale" breakfast buffets. These are the versions that Leigha had always had and disliked before. I have always thought that this is an alright food but knew that the success hinged on the hollandaise sauce. That is why mine was only a partial success, because...

mine broke (separated). At our house, we watch a lot of food network and people are often talking about how important it is to watch a hollandaise sauce as you make it. That is why there is no picture of me making it for the first time. Essentially, to make hollandaise, you have an egg mixture that you heat over a double broiler and whisk nonstop as you add butter. If done properly, it becomes a fluffy eggy and almost cheesy sauce. As this was the first time that I made this, I am not sure what I did wrong, but the sauce broke. This is not to say that it didn't taste good, because it did. I must say that I was a bit grossed out at the sheer amount of butter (two whole sticks) that went into the sauce, but that didn't stop me from pouring it all over the eggs.

When making this dish, I also made poached eggs for the first time, with a bit more success than the sauce. To poach an egg, you need a large pot of water boiling at a low roll. Next, you carefully drop an egg into the water and let it cook for a few minutes. Then retrieve the egg with a slotted spoon, careful not to puncture the egg.

Next, I seared some ham on a skillet and toasted some English muffins in the oven. All that was left was to assemble and eat.














I wasn't sure if the kids would like the poached eggs, and Leigha prepped them by telling them that her mom used to make special "dippy eggs" for her when she was little. The kids loved them from the first bite. In fact, Tate licked his plate clean of the hollandaise and requested another.

 All in all, this was a success in the fact that the kids ate as much as Leigha and myself and enjoyed the entire dish. They even asked if I could make it for them again. Maybe next time, I can get the sauce right, too.