What exactly are "Eggs Benedict"?

Question

And how are they made?

Answer 1

Eggs Benedict is a dish consisting of slices of toast or halves of muffins (English muffins in American English) topped with smoked bacon or ham (traditionally back bacon, which in America is called Canadian bacon), poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce.

Stories differ as to the origins of the dish. One version is that it was created in the late 1880s for financier LeGrand Benedict or his wife, by Charles Ranhofer, the chef of Delmonico's restaurant in New York City after one of the Benedicts complained there was nothing new on the menu. However, Ranhofer's only mention of "Benedict" in his comprehensive 1894 cookbook, covering thirty years' worth of Delmonico's fare, relates to a large, marinated, roasted ham.

Other sources state it was the result of an order placed by stockbroker Lemuel Benedict one morning in 1894 at the Waldorf Hotel when he had a hangover. Benedict claimed in a New Yorker interview shortly before his death that his order of dry toast, crisp bacon, poached eggs and a side of hollandaise sauce had been noted, usurped and warped by Oscar Tschirky, maître d'hôtel there. Oscar substituted English muffins and Canadian bacon, and added truffles.

Some erroneously believe it is named after the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold, since the dish is English underneath, if prepared with an English muffin.

The dish is the source of American actor Dirk Benedict's stage name, supposedly adopted on the suggestion of his agent whilst searching for something more suitable for Hollywood than 'Niewoehner', his family name.

Eggs Benedict may have inspired McDonalds to create the Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich, which approximates the dish by substituting a circular, hard-cooked egg for the poached egg, and adding a slice of American cheese [1]. Also, the Egg McMuffin is lacking the hollandaise sauce of the Eggs Benedict.

There is now an Eggs Benedict XVI, created to honor the German background of the recently elected pope. Sauerbraten or sausage and rye bread are the eggs' accompaniments.

Eggs Florentine is a common variation of Eggs Benedict which replaces the bacon with sauteed spinach.

A version of Artichokes Benedict has been created for the South Beach Diet, substituting cooked fresh artichokes for the muffins and using a mock hollandaise sauce to create a breakfast that is lower in carbohydrates and cholesterol than the original.

Eggs Blackstone is another common variant, substituting streaky bacon for back bacon, while adding a tomato slice.
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Notes

1. ↑ Additional differences: traditional Eggs Benedict are open-faced, while an Egg McMuffin has the other half of the toasted and buttered English muffin on top. The circular egg is created by cracking up to 8 whole eggs into a set of individual "egg rings" on a griddle, where the bottom of the egg is then fried. At the same time, the rings are covered with a metal plate that has a funnel on the top. Water is added to the funnel and flows through a pinhole at the bottom, steaming the tops of the eggs until they are solid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggs_Benedict
Eggs Benedict Recipe

Ingredients:
4 Canadian bacon slices
2 Teaspoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Hollandaise Sauce:
2 Egg yolks at room temperature
2 Teaspoons heavy cream at room temperature
1/4 Teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 Cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and heated until bubbling but not brown (see note)
2 Teaspoons fresh lemon juice at room temperature
1 Teaspoon white wine vinegar
Sugar

2 English muffins
4 Eggs
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh tarragon or dill for garnishing (optional)

Serves 2

Wonderful for Valentine's Day, Easter, Mothers Day, or any time you want to treat your sweetheart to breakfast in bed, eggs Benedict is a good old-fashioned splurge we all deserve every now and then.
When it comes to the egg-rich hollandaise sauce, there's no need for a double boiler. Our foolproof blender hollandaise ensures you won't end up with "scrambled eggs"-and tastes every bit as luxuriant as the traditional labor-intensive version. Better yet, we've broken down this recipe into 10 easy steps. Your eggs Benedict will be perfect every time.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

1) Put the Canadian bacon in a large nonstick skillet. Set over a burner but do not turn on the burner. Put 2 ovenproof plates in the oven to warm.

2) Fill a medium nonstick skillet nearly to the rim with water. Add the kosher salt and vinegar and bring to a simmer over high heat. Alternatively, fill an egg poacher with water and season with salt.

3) To make the Hollandaise Sauce: Put the egg yolks, cream, the 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and cayenne in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth and frothy, 2 to 3 seconds. With the blender still on high speed, add the hot butter in a thin, steady stream, then add the lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Season with kosher salt to taste and a generous pinch of sugar. Transfer the sauce to a microwave-safe cup or bowl.
Alternatively, put the sauce in the top pan of a double boiler or in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.

4) Cut the English muffins in half and lightly toast them.

5) Carefully break an egg into a cup and slide it into the simmering water, or into the cups of an egg poacher. Repeat with the remaining eggs. (Arrange the eggs in a clockwise pattern in the skillet so you will know which one you put in first. Remove the eggs in the same order.) Remove the skillet from the heat and cook until the yolks are medium-firm, 3 to 4 minutes.

6) Meanwhile, heat the Canadian bacon over high heat until slightly crisp, about 1 minute.

7) Place 2 English muffin halves on each of warmed plates.

8)Top each muffin half with a slice of Canadian bacon.

9) Using a slotted spoon, carefully lift out each egg and drain over the skillet. Blot the eggs lightly with a paper towel. Gently place 1 egg on top of each Canadian bacon slice.

10) If not keeping the hollandaise sauce warm in a double boiler, warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds and pour generously on top of the eggs and around the English muffins. Season with pepper to taste and garnish with tarragon, if desired. Serve immediately.

Note: We heat the butter in a glass measuring cup in the microwave until it begins to boil. In order for the egg yolks to thicken the sauce, the butter must be very hot and the egg yolks, cream, and lemon juice must be at room temperature when you begin blending.

Do-ahead: Believe it or not, hollandaise sauce can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.To reheat the sauce, warm it in the microwave in 10-second increments until warm but not hot. (If the sauce gets too hot, it will separate.) Alternatively, put the sauce in the top pan of a double boiler or in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
When entertaining, the eggs can be cooked several hours in advance. After poaching the eggs, transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Store them in the ice water in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Reheat the eggs by lowering them into a pan of simmering water for about 45 seconds.
Drain and serve as directed.

Variations: Substitute smoked salmon for the Canadian bacon and top with blanched asparagus tips, then with the eggs.

Answer 2

Eggs Benedict is a dish, usually served at breakfast. It's made by toasting an English muffin, then topping it with slices of Canadian bacon, poached eggs, and topped off with hollandaise sauce (which is made almost identical to the way you make mayonnaise, except that it's warm). It's not too bad, but a quick word of warning: you have to be very careful when you order the dish in a restaurant. Hollandaise sauce can spoil very easily and make you very sick. A couple of years ago, my buddy was getting married, and we all went out to breakfast the morning before the ceremony. His best man ordered Eggs Benedict, ate it, and was so sick by that evening that he couldn't attend the wedding. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Eggs Benedict is two poached eggs on top of an english muffin halved (one on each half) covered in hollendaise sauce. Best wishes

Answer 4

Lying eggs.
No wait! That's "Eggs Benedict Arnold"

Answer 5

English muffins,Canadian bacon, poached eggs,Hollandaise sauce. (this is new york style, but check out recipies at foodnetwork.com !!!!)

Answer 6

scrambled eggs with all kinds of junk put in it.. peppers, a bunch of stuff i do not like

Answer 7

Great breakfast.