Eggs Benedict

[dragnlaw]

After seeing the dinner post mentioning Eggs Benedict, I had to look up various recipes. I always thought they were made with ham! Did know that American referral to what Canadians call Back Bacon was called "Canadian Bacon". Thanks guys, take that as a compliment. I believe there is alao another name for it - Peameal bacon, no?

And then I found/read the following - there are three styles - Eggs Benedict - Eggs Royale - Eggs Florentine. Who knew! Obviously I did not!

Eggs royale is similar to Eggs Benedict or florentine but uses smoked salmon instead of ham or spinach. Using cold butter rather than warm, melted butter means the sauce takes a few extra minutes to come together, but there's far less risk of it splitting – worth the time we think.

 

[pictonguy]

Yeah, it's not called Swiss Cheese in Switzerland and in Canada, Canadian bacon is either called back bacon or peameal bacon. It's a British thing and when Canada was basically a British colony back in the day eventually the product found it's was to you guys in the south and named it "Canadian Bacon"

I've made a few (thousand) orders of hollandaise and lots of eggs benedict and I would recommend the blender method with clarified butter, it's pretty much fool proof, while the cold butter method can be a very frustrating endeavor for the beginner and even the experienced cook. Cooking egg yolks over a double boiler is a skill and the opportunity for the yolks to overcook is very real and there's no difference for the end product.

For eggs benedict, I use smoked trout that I make myself and I haven't used english muffins forever, and generally use a focaccia type bread or I make Yorkshire pudding and fill them with scrambled eggs that have chives and parsley, then smoked trout and hollandaise. There's no rules, you can put whatever you want on a bread type product and add hollandaise and it will be tasty.

 

[medtran49]

And then there's Country Eggs Benedict, a split biscuit with thin sausage patties, poached or sunny side up egg, with a whitish gravy made from the sausage drippings (basically sausage gravy without sausage pieces). It's basically sausage gravy and biscuits fancied up. It started showing up on brunch/breakfast menus here a few years back.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Another easy country style topper is creamed corn.

You can use your imagination and still maintain the spirit of Eggs Benedict.

The base can be a toaster waffle, toast, a split corn muffin etc…

Topped with any type of meat and any style of eggs, sauce, cheese, etc…

This time of year Eggs Benedict with bacon and asparagus would be nice.

 

[GotGarlic]

And here on the East Coast, we have Crab Cake Eggs Benedict

 

[msmofet]

I use this Irish back bacon when I can find it. I don't really like “Canadian” bacon.

 

[medtran49]

I just remembered about a brunch special we had once, braised, shredded short rib, eggs Benedict on ciabatta with arugula, lightly sauteed red onions, poached eggs and a parmesan cream sauce.

At the same place another time, I had a BLT Benedict, arugula, pancetta, tomato slices, and avocado. I don't remember what the sauce was though.

 

[dragnlaw]

I use this Irish back bacon when I can find it. I don't really like “Canadian” bacon.

View attachment 68823

Lol ... I would swear up and down the turnpike that is a boneless pork loin chop.

 

[taxlady]

Lol ... I would swear up and down the turnpike that is a boneless pork loin chop.

It is the same cut of meat. But, here in Canada, we usually only use the oval part that is surround by fat, not the extra bits at the end, for back bacon / peameal bacon.

 

[taxlady]

I use this Irish back bacon when I can find it. I don't really like “Canadian” bacon.

View attachment 68823

I think that "Canadian bacon" in the US has diverged from the back bacon/peameal bacon that we get here. Ours doesn't look exactly like that Irish back bacon.

 

[dragnlaw]

Yes I know taxy, but that picture does not look like the meat has been cured. The thickness also suggests a fresh chop.

Perhaps the Irish call them Canadian back bacon.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

And then I found/read the following - there are three styles - Eggs Benedict - Eggs Royale - Eggs Florentine. Who knew! Obviously I did not!

For me, there is a fourth style: Eggs Benedict with onions. I call it Eggs Benedict Arnold because it always turns on me!

 

[GinnyPNW]

Completely different from eggs benny, but in the spirit...there's a diner down on the docks in Westport, WA, that makes "A Hot Mess". It is wonderful! A couple of biscuits, split, then topped with a couple of sausage patties, smothered in a delicious sausage gravy and then topped with a couple of eggs, done your way. I always ask for poached. Of course, one doesn't need to eat anything else for a couple of days!

 

[BAPyessir6]

I love eggs Benedict, and I didn't know about the cold butter in Florintine. As I still use a double boiler to make my hollandaise, I learned a great tip from a French chef friend, and that's to prevent it from curdling/splitting.

He told me temperature is very important in hollandaise (you need it hot enough to keep an emulsion but not so hot it curdles) and the best way to do that is to touch the bottom of your ban Marie bowl (the bottom of the bowl that sits over the simmering water). When the bowl gets too hot enough to keep your hand there for a second or two, take it off the heat, and place it on the countertop (or on a towel to help hold in residual heat) and when it cools down enough to hold your hand on the (now wet/damp) bottom, put it back over the water. Repeat this a few times as you make your hollandaise and it'll be successful.

Since I've applied this "feel" technique, I've never had a hollandaise split or curdle.

 

[medtran49]

Completely different from eggs benny, but in the spirit...there's a diner down on the docks in Westport, WA, that makes "A Hot Mess". It is wonderful! A couple of biscuits, split, then topped with a couple of sausage patties, smothered in a delicious sausage gravy and then topped with a couple of eggs, done your way. I always ask for poached. Of course, one doesn't need to eat anything else for a couple of days!

A place here makes that, except they also add a huge mound of shredded cheddar on top of the eggs and melt it in a salamander. First time I saw it, I was like OMG! The man that ordered it finished, but I don't know how.

 

[dcSaute]

this is on the menu as Eggs Benedict with the option for smoked salmon vs Canadian bacon . . .
Buchon - it's Thomas Keller's Las Vegas resto in the Venetian. highly recommended.

note the 'globular' shape of the poached egg . . . wonder if they we using the plastic wrap trick?
absolutely scrumptous!

 

[KatyCooks]

I use this Irish back bacon when I can find it. I don't really like “Canadian” bacon.

View attachment 68823

Can't tell from this picture, but if those were thinly sliced, they could be what I would call "rashers" here in the UK. (Back bacon.)

 

[msmofet]

This the brand I get.

 

[caseydog]

After seeing the dinner post mentioning Eggs Benedict, I had to look up various recipes. I always thought they were made with ham! Did know that American referral to what Canadians call Back Bacon was called "Canadian Bacon". Thanks guys, take that as a compliment. I believe there is alao another name for it - Peameal bacon, no?

And then I found/read the following - there are three styles - Eggs Benedict - Eggs Royale - Eggs Florentine. Who knew! Obviously I did not!

Eggs royale is similar to Eggs Benedict or florentine but uses smoked salmon instead of ham or spinach. Using cold butter rather than warm, melted butter means the sauce takes a few extra minutes to come together, but there's far less risk of it splitting – worth the time we think.

Eggs Benedict is an American creation, using "English Muffins," and "Canadian Bacon."

There are a lot of other versions. Brennen's in NOLA used to have Oyster's Benedict on their breakfast menu.

I once made a Quinoa Benedict for a challenge. Quinoa "muffin," home cured and smoked Canadian bacon, poached egg and Eric Ripert's blender Hollandaise. That muffin took several attempts to make.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

WOW! Positively have loved everyone's posts here.
So interesting all the differences.

Yep, I'd say those eggs were definitely done in plastic wraps, dc. I did them like that a couple of times.

Katy, I learned something new. Just thought 'rashers' meant our regular "streaky" (as taxy calls them) bacon.

msm, now seeing it in the pkg. it for sure is back bacon.

casey, lol, not too sure about the quinoa and a big 'no on the oysters but glad they turned out.. for you.