eggs royale
All bennies have the same core - toasted English muffin on the bottom, protein in the middle, and a poached egg topped with creamy hollandaise. In Eggs Royale the traditional ham is switched to cold smoked salmon, which takes this brunch classic to another level!
History of Eggs Benedict
Today, Eggs Benedict is a brunch staple in U.S but how it came to be is a bit hazy. Many people have been credited for this dish but I will share the two most compelling theories of the history behind this brunch classic, first one crediting Delmonico’s restaurant. The story goes back to 1860’s when Mrs. Legrand Benedict was frequenting the restaurant. She slowly grew tired of the same menu options and asked the noted chef Charles Ranhofer to create something new for her and he came up the now famous Eggs Benedict. The second myth is based in 1942 when a retired Wall Street stockbroker Lemuel Benedict was looking for a hangover cure at the Waldorf Hotel. He ordered a combination of buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon, and Hollandaise sauce. The head chef Oscar Tschirky was inspired by the combination and decided to add it on his menu with his own twist to it by making it with an English muffin and Canadian bacon which today is known as the classic Eggs Benedict. Chef Tschirky is also the one we thank for the delicious Waldorf salad!
How to make eggs royale?
To begin the recipe we start by making the English muffins. To make the muffins mix together warm milk, water, sugar, and yeast and let sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. Meanwhile whisk together flour and salt in a large bowl. Then add 1 egg and 3 tbsp melted butter in the yeast mixture, whisk to combine. On low speed and with a paddle attachment, mix together the yeast and flour mixture for about 8 minutes until the dough is stretchy. Oil a large bowl and transfer the dough in it and flip it to coat. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about one hour in a warm spot until doubled in size. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and dust with semolina flour. Dust a counter top with all purpose flour and gently roll the dough until 1” thick. Using a 3” round cookie cutter cut out the muffins. Fold the dough and repeat. Transfer the muffins on the cookie sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for another 30 minutes. Heat up a cast iron skillet on very low heat. Once the pan is warm, dust it with semolina flour and place 2-3 muffins, cover, and let them cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Wipe the pan clean and dust with fresh semolina flour between each batch. Set the cooked muffins aside. Start Hollandaise sauce by bringing about 1” of water to simmer in a small pot. Whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice in a medium glass bowl, set it over the pot (do not let the bowl touch the water), whisk rapidly until egg yolks have doubled in size. Then slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup melted butter while rapidly whisking until the sauce coats a spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in a pinch of cayenne and salt. Cover with plastic and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to slow boil and add in vinegar. Working with one egg at a time, use a whisk to stir the water to create a current, crack in an egg, and poach it for about 3 minutes. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon and place on top of a paper towel or a stale piece of bread to absorb the excess water. While poaching the eggs, melt 2 tbsp of butter on a cast iron skillet over medium heat and slice 4 muffins horizontally. Place the muffins on the pan face down and toast until golden. Top each muffin half with tomato, spinach, arugula, cold smoked salmon, avocado, poached egg, and Hollandaise sauce. Sprinkle chopped dill on top and serve immediately.
Tips
When making the Hollandaise sauce make sure the egg yolks don’t cook - if they start to get thick and sticking to the sides of the bowl remove it from heat while whisking in butter.
Make sure to drizzle in the butter slowly. If mixed in too fast and not whisking enough the Hollandaise will break. Broken sauce will not look smooth, it will look oily and spotty. If the sauce is too runny return over heat and keep whisking until it thickens.
To poach the eggs, adding vinegar to the water and creating a current will avoid the egg from falling apart in the water.
This recipe will yield enough dough to make a few extra muffins to enjoy as a snack later! They also freeze well if you want to have homemade English muffins on hand!
Recommended products to make this recipe
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