Julia Child Eggs Benedict Recipe

Julia Child Eggs Benedict is the ultimate brunch dish: perfectly poached eggs with runny yolks, salty Canadian bacon, and silky hollandaise sauce, all perched on a toasted English muffin. This brunch recipe relies on timing and technique. Julia demystified both the poached eggs and the hollandaise, making this classic achievable at home.

Julia believed in mastering the basics. Her approach to poaching eggs and making hollandaise meant anyone could produce restaurant-quality results. As she often said, “Once you’ve mastered the technique, there’s nothing to it.”

The secret is getting all components ready at the same time. The poached eggs must be soft, the hollandaise must be warm, the muffins must be hot. One cold element ruins the dish.

The first time I made this for a crowd, I had six pots going and felt like an air traffic controller. Now I have a system. You will too.

What makes perfect Eggs Benedict? Four components, all hot, all timed: toasted muffin, warm ham, poached egg with runny yolk, and silky hollandaise.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Brunch royalty: The dish that defines Sunday morning.
• Impressive but learnable: Once you master poaching, you’ve got it.
• Julia’s hollandaise: Foolproof blender method included.
• Customizable: Swap ham for smoked salmon, spinach, or crab.
• Restaurant quality at home: For a fraction of the price.

Julia Child Eggs Benedict Ingredients

From The Way to Cook and The French Chef. Serves 4.

For the Eggs Benedict:

• 4 large eggs (very fresh, for best poaching)
• 2 English muffins, split
• 2 Tb softened butter (for muffins)
• 4 slices Canadian bacon or thick-cut ham
• Fresh parsley or paprika for garnish

For the Hollandaise Sauce:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 Tb water
• 1 Tb fresh lemon juice
• 1 stick (8 Tb) unsalted butter, melted and hot
• Salt, white pepper, pinch of cayenne

How To Make Julia Child Eggs Benedict

Step 1: Make the Hollandaise (Blender Method)

1. Prepare the butter: Melt butter until very hot and foaming.
2. Blend the base: Add egg yolks, water, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne to blender. Blend 2 seconds.
3. Stream in hot butter: With blender running, pour hot butter in a slow, thin stream until sauce thickens.
4. Keep warm: Transfer to a bowl set over warm (not hot) water. Stir occasionally.

Step 2: Prep the Components

5. Toast the muffins: Split and toast until golden. Butter generously. Keep warm.
6. Warm the ham: Pan-fry Canadian bacon slices briefly in butter until lightly browned. Keep warm.

Step 3: Poach the Eggs

7. Heat water: Fill a deep pan with 3 inches of water. Bring to a gentle simmer (not boiling).
8. Add vinegar: 1 Tb white vinegar helps the whites set faster.
9. Crack eggs into saucers: One egg per saucer for easy sliding.
10. Slide eggs gently into water: Create a gentle swirl first if desired.
11. Poach 3-4 minutes: Whites should be set, yolks still soft.
12. Remove and drain: Lift with slotted spoon, drain on paper towels. Trim wispy edges.

Step 4: Assemble and Serve

13. Work fast: Place buttered muffin halves on plates.
14. Add ham: One slice per muffin half.
15. Top with poached egg: Center it carefully.
16. Spoon hollandaise generously: It should drape over the egg.
17. Garnish and serve immediately: Parsley or a dusting of paprika.

Recipe Tips

• Fresh eggs poach best: The whites hold together better. Older eggs spread.
• Gentle simmer, not rolling boil: Violent bubbles tear the eggs apart.
• Vinegar helps: The acid makes whites set faster. Don’t skip it.
• Trim the wispy edges: After draining, use a knife or scissors for neater presentation.
• Hollandaise cannot wait long: Make it last, just before assembly. If it cools and thickens, whisk in a tablespoon of warm water.
• Hot butter is essential: Cold butter won’t emulsify properly. It must be hot and foaming.

Hollandaise Troubleshooting

• Sauce too thick: Whisk in warm water, a tablespoon at a time.
• Sauce too thin: Butter wasn’t hot enough, or poured too fast.
• Sauce broke (curdled): Start over with a fresh yolk, drizzle the broken sauce into it slowly.
• Sauce cooled and solidified: Gently rewarm over warm water, whisking constantly.

Variations

• Eggs Florentine: Replace ham with sautéed spinach.
• Eggs Royale: Replace ham with smoked salmon.
• Eggs Chesapeake: Replace ham with lump crab cake.
• Brunch beverage pairings: Classic mimosas, Bloody Marys, or fresh-squeezed orange juice. Strong coffee on the side.

Make-Ahead Strategy

Eggs Benedict requires last-minute assembly. However:

• Toast and butter muffins, keep warm in low oven.
• Warm ham, keep warm.
• Make hollandaise last, keep over warm water.
• Poach eggs right before serving.

For a crowd, poach eggs slightly underdone, transfer to ice water. Reheat for 30 seconds in simmering water before serving.

How To Store

Don’t. Eggs Benedict must be served immediately. Hollandaise doesn’t reheat. Poached eggs go rubbery when cold.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 whole muffin with 2 eggs and hollandaise):

• Calories: 580 kcal
• Protein: 22g
• Total Fat: 48g
• Saturated Fat: 26g
• Carbohydrates: 16g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 720mg
• Cholesterol: 490mg

FAQs

Source: The Way to Cook and The French Chef by Julia Child

– Claire