Soft Boiled Eggs Benedict: A lazy brunch classic.

When I am feeling my laziest or most hungover, I don't have the strength to go to a restaurant for Eggs Benedict.  In college, I had a roommate who worked for a top tier restaurant and he showed me how to do a perfect hollandaise after I ruined mine on the first attempt. I could not believe how easy it was when you use the double boil method, more on that later.

The hardest part of Eggs Benedict is poaching the eggs. So often I have failed poaching eggs because I did not buy fresh eggs, which is important for poaching because the protein membranes are strongest when the eggs are just hatched, otherwise you are left with stringy egg water.

 Although I am now more confident in my poaching skills (poaching up to two eggs at a time. *Pats self on the back). For unplanned brunches, I prefer soft boiling my eggs. A soft boiled egg produces a sturdier egg white and there is less risk of the yolk breaking before it hits your plate. In addition, less stringy egg water. 

In this recipe, we’re making a simple hollandaise and serving it with soft-boiled eggs on rye bread with avocado, smoked salmon, tomato, and diced purple onion. The meal is already rich, why not make it HEALTHY...

For the hollandaise sauce, you will need a small pot and a bowl that you can fit on top without the bowl being submerged under water. I like to use a metal mixing bowl with pronounced edges that can fit on top of the pot.

We will do a double boiling technique that will cook the egg yolk without curdling it under low heat using an electric mixer. If you don’t have an electric mixer, no worries; today will just be arm day. As you patiently mix the egg yolk with a handheld mixer, you will finish this meal enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Ingredients: 

5 egg yolks
¾ cup (150g) butter
½ small lemon
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of salt
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of water

Side Ingredients:

Hollandaise Instructions:

1. Fill a small pot with water and set to boil on the stove.

2. Separate five egg yolks and put into a small bowl that can fit on the pan. Do not put the bowl of egg yolks directly on the pot yet.

3. In a separate small saucepan, melt your butter on low heat without burning it. (You can also put it in a microwave. I use pot, because I don’t own a microwave.) Once your butter is melted, set aside.

4. Once your water starts boiling, turn the stove off and remove the pan from the heated part of the stove. Have an electric mixer (preferred) or whisk ready. You must quickly start whisking once you place the bowl of egg yolks on the pan for about 10 minutes or until the color of the yolks go from yellow to a light cream color.

5. Once your egg yolks reach a rich creamy color, take it off the pan and start adding the melted butter little by little from the side of the bowl, not directly in. 

This is in case the butter is still too warm, pouring down the side will lower the heat preventing any possible curdling. You can switch to a handheld whisk for this part.

6. Once you have whisked in the remaining butter in, you can start adding the lemon, salt, and paprika. You can also add tablespoon by tablespoon of water to stretch it out to your desire. No more than three tablespoons max.

Now that your hollandaise is ready, let’s move on to making the perfect soft-boiled egg. 

Soft-boiled Eggs Instructions:   

1. Take a medium size pan to fill the water to half the height of the egg without putting the egg inside the pan yet. Afterwards, set the water to boil on the stove.

2. Once the water starts boiling, lower the heat to medium-low (setting 5 on an electric stove).

3. Place a cover on top of the pan and set your timer to six minutes and 30 seconds. (6:30 sec)

4. Once the timer is up, place the eggs in a bowl of ice water and let it sit for minute or two. This will help peeling the egg without ruining the membrane.

At this point you can start setting up your breakfast slicing the bread and vegetables. In the image you see, I diced purple onion into small cubes and added sliced tomato, avocado, and salmon.

 You will notice that the egg yolks in this picture are very yellow to the point of being orange. This is something very common in southern Europe which baffles my American friends every time. That is not photoshop magic, but the result of a free range hen's diet made up of leafy vegetables and possibly insects with high levels of carotenoids, the fat-soluble pigments responsible for the brilliant orange color.  

With this method, you will have perfect runny eggs every time without the hassle of messing up your pot or the kitchen. Leave comments if you have any suggestions or feedback about this recipe!