You always come across famous people on your dinner plate. For example, the fillet Wellington, named after the 1st Duke of Wellington, the carpaccio, named after the painter Vittore Carpaccio, Fürst Pückler ice cream after the nobleman Hermann von Pückler-Muskau, pear Helene after the title character of Jacques Offenbach’s “The Beautiful Helena” … And the sandwich was supposedly invented by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, no relation to Charles Grey, namesake of Earl Gray tea.
But who was this Benedict, after whom one of the most popular breakfast dishes in the USA is named? A fantasy figure that is misused to enhance simple children’s dishes, hashtag “Pinocchio plate”? The combination of bacon, hollandaise sauce and egg on toast may seem banal at first glance. In fact, Eggs Benedict have a 130-year cultural history behind them; they were invented in New York in 1894.
The year and place are considered fixed, but there are still two different legends surrounding its creation. One story goes like this: The stockbroker Lemuel Benedict is said to have shown up one day at the New York Hotel Waldorf-Astoria (which is where the Waldorf salad was invented) with a hangover and asked for a poached egg with bacon, hollandaise sauce and toast. The dish apparently worked so well against headaches that the hotel added it to the breakfast menu. But the restaurant “Delmonico’s” in the financial district also claimed the invention; the stockbroker LeGrand Benedict is said to have gone in and out of the restaurant and repeatedly ordered poached eggs with bacon.
Vinegar makes all the difference
No matter which came first, the egg or the Benedict, what counts is the special flavor and texture combination of semi-liquid egg, crispy bacon and slightly sour butter sauce. People used to call it “yummy” and today they call it “umami”. As with many culinary classics, Eggs Benedict only requires four ingredients: toast (or muffins), bacon, eggs and hollandaise sauce. Preparation takes less than ten minutes if you have prepared the hollandaise and have mastered the strudel trick when poaching. And if you swap or add a few elements, you have a new dish that you can give a new name: Eggs Florentine (with spinach instead of bacon), Eggs Hemingway (with smoked salmon), Huevos Benedict (with salsa and avocado), Eggs Hussarde (with rusks and bordelaise sauce).
For the classic, heat a liter of water in a pot and add a splash of vinegar; the acid makes the egg white set more quickly. Bring to the boil and reduce heat until the water just boils. Stir in the water with a whisk until a swirl forms. Crack the egg into a small bowl or cup and gently slide it into the center of the strudel so that the white wraps around the yolk. This is a matter of practice, don’t freak out if it doesn’t work on the first try!
Close the pot with the lid and let the egg steep for three to four minutes. In the meantime, fry the bacon strips in the pan until crispy without any additional fat and drain on kitchen paper. Spread 1 tablespoon of hollandaise on a crispy, hot piece of toast. (The classic hollandaise sauce is made from egg yolks and melted butter in a water bath, slowly mixed with a whisk, but it can also be a little easier: separate 3 eggs, put the egg yolks in a mixing bowl, add 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tsp crème fraîche, Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar and a little salt with a hand blender. Melt 200 g butter in a small saucepan, stir hot butter into the egg mixture, season with salt, pepper and white wine vinegar.)
Now place the bacon on the hollandaise-smeared toast and carefully drape the egg over it. Spread another tablespoon of Hollandaise on the egg, season with salt and pepper and garnish with cress or chives. Bon appetit and happy Easter!
This is what you need:
– 1 egg
– 1 slice of bacon
– 1 toast, bagel or muffin
– 2 tbsp hollandaise sauce
– Salt and pepper
– For the hollandaise (the recipe makes several servings, hollandaise in small quantities is difficult to make because the sauce then has a harder time emulsifying): 3 egg yolks, 200 g butter, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tsp crème fraîche, 1 tsp sugar , 1 pinch of salt