Eggs Benedict

Poaching the eggs

1. To poach your eggs, pour 60 ml of cold water onto the heating plate.
2. Spray the poaching cups with cooking spray and break one egg into each cup. Cook until the water has completely evaporated and the eggs are cooked.

Making the hollandaise sauce

1. To begin making the hollandaise sauce, gently melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Once melted, pour into a jug.
2. Now the butter is set to the side, in a small pan, combine the vinegar, shallot, peppercorns and bay leaf. Boil this until reduced to around 2 tablespoons of liquid, then remove from the heat.
3. Now place the egg yolks, salt and sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure to not let the bowl touch the water. Whisk until pale and thick. Strain in the vinegar reduction using a fine sieve, whisk again, then slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Main

1. If you’re using pre-cooked poached eggs, reheat them by lowering into simmering water for 1 minute before draining on kitchen roll.
2. Toast the muffin halves and spread with butter. For Eggs Benedict, place a slice of ham on each muffin; for Eggs Royale, use smoked salmon instead. Top each one with a poached egg.
3. Spoon over a generous amount of hollandaise and finish with a sprinkle of fresh chives. Serve with the remaining muffin halves on the side.

…enjoy!