Eggs Benedict with Smoked Beef

1Preparation

1. Separate the three yolks from their whites and save the whites for another use.
2. Crack each of the eggs for poaching into its own small cup.
3. Split the English muffins in half with a fork or serrated knife.

2Cooking

1. Melt the butter in a small pan until hot and foaming, then take it off the heat.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 3 min timer
2. Set a heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water and whisk the yolks, lemon juice and water in it until thick, pale and leaving a trail when the whisk is lifted.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 3 min timer
3. Lift the bowl off the pot and pour in the hot butter in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick and glossy like a light mayonnaise, then season with salt and chili.

   ⏱ 3 min timer
4. Bring the water for the eggs to a boil in a wide pot.

   🔥 high heat⏱ 7 min timer
5. Add the vinegar and lower the heat until only small bubbles rise, then slide in 4 eggs from their cups and cook until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 4 min timer
6. Lift the eggs onto a paper towel with a slotted spoon and repeat with the remaining four eggs.

   🔥 low heat⏱ 4 min timer
7. Toast the muffin halves until golden and crisp at the edges, then butter them.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 3 min timer
8. Warm the smoked beef slices in a dry pan for a minute per side until hot and slightly curled at the edges.

   🔥 medium heat⏱ 2 min timer

3Serving

1. Set two muffin halves on each plate and top each half with a slice of smoked beef and a poached egg.
2. Spoon a generous tablespoon of hollandaise over each egg, sprinkle with green onion and paprika, and serve at once.

💡 Tips & common mistakes

• Common mistake: adding the butter too fast or leaving the bowl over fierce steam, which makes the sauce split into a greasy, curdled mess. If it happens, whisk a tablespoon of hot water in a clean bowl and whisk the split sauce into it a spoonful at a time.
• You can poach the eggs ahead, chill them in iced water in the fridge and rewarm them in hot water for one minute before serving.
• Keep the hollandaise warm near the stove, not on the heat — direct heat will scramble the yolks.

🔁 Substitutions

• For a vegetarian version, replace the beef with spinach wilted in butter.
• If English muffins are unavailable, use thick slices of toast cut into rounds.