Eggs Benedict

Now I really adore Alton Brown and I totally want to try this recipe with the homemade "English muffins," but I just didn't have the time today but I was having a craving so I only put the eggs and hollandaise recipes as the main body of the post.  However, if you are like me and just crazy enough to try, I have included the "muffin" recipe at the bottom.  Now on to the meal we did eat.  As I was making the hollandaise, I was getting worried.  It was very thin and very lemony.  Oops, I had only cut up one stick of butter; ok feeling better because that would solve above problems.  Once the second and final stick of butter was incorporated, I still felt that an entire tablespoon of lemon juice would be too much so I only put in a 1/2 tablespoon.  Now while this hollandaise tasted really great with the eggs, bread and ham, it was not the kind you just want to eat by the spoonful.  (ok thinking on that it may be a GREAT thing because who needs to eat butter;) I think I am used to the mass produced hollandaise that is made in a blender and is much thicker. I like the thicker kind.  I think I will try making it in a blender next time to compare.  A little laborious but worth it. Oh and you could totally make this vegetarian by putting a grilled tomato slice or some roasted asparagus on the muffin in place of the ham.
Eggs Benedict
Poached Eggs
4 qt water
1/4 c  white vinegar
1 t  kosher salt
8    large eggs
Hollandaise Sauce
3    large egg yolks
1 T  water
1/4 t  kosher salt
1/2 t  ground cayenne,divided
3    to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice strained divided
8    ounces cold unsalted butter cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1/4 t  sugar
To Complete8    Canadian Bacon Or Ham,Sliced

For the eggs
Put 4 (6-ounce) custard cups in a 6-quart deep, straight-sided saute
pan or rondeau. Add 4 quarts of water or enough to cover the cups by at
least 1/4-inch. Add the vinegar and salt to the water and put the pan
over high heat. Heat just until the water begins to boil and the cups
clatter against the bottom of the pan, 20 to 25 minutes.
Adjust the heat to maintain a water temperature of 205 degrees F
outside the cups. Break the eggs, 1 at a time, into another custard cup
or ladle.   Pour the eggs slowly into each of the cups, timing them
about 10 seconds apart. Cook for 5 minutes each.
Serve immediately or remove eggs from cups and transfer to an ice bath
to stop cooking. Refrigerate for up to 6 hours in the ice bath.
To reheat, bring water to a simmer, turn off the heat and add the eggs.
Wait 1 to 2 minutes or until warmed through.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

For the Hollandaise
Whisk together the egg yolks, water, salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the
cayenne in a 2 quart saucier for 1 minute.
Put the saucier over low heat and whisk vigorously, moving the pan on
and off the heat every 10 to 15 seconds, bringing the mixture to 140 to
145 degrees F, on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 3 minutes.
Add 1 piece of butter at a time, every 30 seconds, while continually
whisking and moving the saucier on and off the heat. Maintain
temperature around 120 to 130 degrees F throughout the remainder of the
cooking process. Once half of the butter, or 8 pieces, have been added,
add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add the remaining 8 pieces of butter,
1 at a time, every 30 seconds, while continuing to move the saucier on
and off the heat and maintaining 120 to 130 degrees F. After the last
piece of butter has been added, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon
juice, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and the sugar and whisk for
1 to 2 minutes.
Taste and add more lemon juice, as desired. Move immediately to a short,
wide-mouthed thermos to hold for up to 2 hours. Reheat over low heat
for 45 seconds.
Yield: 1 1/4 cups sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 to 20 minutes
To build Eggs Benedict:
Put the julienned Canadian bacon in 10-inch saute pan set over medium
heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through and beginning to
turn lightly brown around the edges, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Turn
off the heat, but leave the bacon in the pan to keep warm until serving.

For each serving, put 2 small dollops of hollandaise on a plate and set
1/2 an English muffin on top of each dollop. Put a small amount of
Canadian bacon on top of each half and top with 1 warm poached egg and
drizzle with hollandaise. Repeat with remaining ingredients and serve
immediately.
Yield: 4 servings


"Yeast Based Eggs Benedict Foundation Platform"12    ounces all-purpose flour
1 1/2    ounces nonfat dry milk
1 T  sugar
1    envelope active dry yeast
1 t  kosher salt
10    ounces water
1 T  shortening
Nonstick spray
8 t  rolled quick oats
Special Equipment,8 (3 3/4-inch diameter by 2-inch tall) cans with tops and bottoms removed or 8 English muffin rings

For the "muffins"
Combine the flour, nonfat dry milk, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl
of a stand mixer. Mix on low for 10 seconds using the paddle attachment.

Put the water and shortening in microwavable container and heat to 120
to 130 degrees F, approximately 2 minutes. Stir until the shortening is
thoroughly melted. Add the water mixture to the dry ingredients and mix
on medium speed until well combined, stopping to scrape down the bowl
halfway through mixing, about 3 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic
wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, uncover and mix on medium speed,
using the paddle attachment, for 3 minutes.
Position the 8 cans on a half sheet pan and generously spray the rings
and pan with nonstick spray. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of oats in the
bottom of each ring. Scoop the dough, with a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or
disher, into the rings, dividing the dough evenly between the rings.
Sprinkle each top with 1/2 teaspoon of oats. Cover with parchment and
let sit in a warm place for 60 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Leave the parchment in place and set a second sheet pan on top. Bake
for 20 minutes then remove the top half sheet pan. Continue to bake
until the muffins reach an internal temperature of 210 degrees F on an
instant-  read thermometer, and are lightly browned, about 5 to 10
minutes.
Remove the pan with the muffins still in the rings, to a cooling rack
for 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the perimeter of the ring to
loosen.   Cool completely before splitting with a fork. To serve, toast
under broiler for 3 to 4 minutes.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/eggs-benedict-recipe/index.html