Egg Benedict With Asparagus & Bacon

With tender asparagus, smoky bacon, and drizzled with creamy hollandaise sauce, this is not your average Egg Benedict!

Although not a complicated dish to prepare, the perfect Egg Benedict requires attention to detail, precise timing and a bit of skill but with the first delicious bite, you’ll know it was worth it.  Begin by poaching an egg to a firm white with creamy egg yolk. Then blanch the fresh asparagus to al dente. Next, make the velvety hollandaise sauce with its buttery-laden lemon flavor. Once you’ve mastered this “mother sauce”, one of five basic French sauces, pan fry your buttery toast. Next, stack the toast with the tender asparagus stalks, crispy bacon, and perfectly poached egg. Drizzle with the decadent hollandaise sauce and garnish with chives. Complete your egg benedict love affair with a flute of mimosa for the ideal start to an indulgent weekend.

 4 SERVINGS      45 MINS      ADVANCED      MIMOSA

egg benedict

INGREDIENTS
Poached Eggs
4 whole large eggs
100 ml white wine vinegar
1 l water

Garnish
12 pieces green asparagus
4 slices bread
8 slices bacon
few leaves chives
10 g butter
10 ml olive oil

Hollandaise Sauce
3 whole egg yolk
20 ml lemon juice
10 ml water
150 g unsalted butter
approx. 120 g clarified butter
1 pinch of salt

METHOD
Poached Eggs

  1. In a pot, bring the water and vinegar to a simmer.
  2. Gently crack the eggs into a cup with a little bit of vinegar.
  3. Then, create a spiral tornado effect with your whisk in the pot, and gently add the eggs into the spiral one by one.
  4. Poach the eggs for 2 minutes until the egg white is firm and the yolk is still creamy. Immediately cool down in ice water. When the eggs are cold, remove them from the water and reserve in the refrigerator.

Clarified Butter

  1. Cut the butter into large pieces and add to the sauce pan.
  2. Gently melt the butter on low heat. The white part of the butter and the yellow will separate. Be careful not to melt the butter too high or it will brown.
  3. When the butter is melted, gently pour the yellow part in another saucepan. Set aside the yellow part and discard the white part.

Garnish

  1. Remove the scales from the asparagus stalks and the tough bottom part of the stalk.
  2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus for 1 min. maximum. Then immediately cool down in ice water.
  3. Strain the ice water from the asparagus and dry them on a paper towel. Then reserve in the refrigerator.
  4. With a bread knife, slice the bread as desired. Set aside.
  5. Finely chop the chives and set aside.

Hollandaise Sauce

  1. Add a few inches of water to a medium saucepan. Gently begin to warm the water over low heat.
  2. In a large bowl, add the yolk with lemon juice and a drop of water.
  3. Place the bowl with the yolk on top of the saucepan like double boiler. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk the mixture approx 5 minutes until the consistency is smooth and thick.
  4. Remove the bowl from the heat. Gradually add the clarified butter and continue to whisk like mayonnaise. Then seasoning with a pinch of salt and set aside.

Finishing & Plating

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
  2. Heat a pot of water to reheat the poached eggs.
  3. Heat a pan with butter and oil over medium heat. Add the bread. Then reduce the heat and toast both side until it’s golden. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  4. On a tray, place the slices of bacon and cook in the oven approx 5 minutes until it starts to be crispy. Remove from the oven.
  5. In the meantime, add a bit of butter and water to a pot. Then bring to a boil to reheat the asparagus for a few seconds. Remove from the heat.
  6. When the water is warm, gently pour the poached eggs into the pot of water for 30 seconds. Then remove from the water and pat dry with a paper towel.
  7. On a plate, place a little bit of hollandaise sauce to stabilize the toast.
  8. Place the asparagus, bacon, poached egg and then the hollandaise sauce and the chives. Bon appétit!