Eggs Benedict / Eggs Royale / Eggs Florentine

The perfect breakfast for a weekend treat, Eggs Benedict with homemade Hollandaise sauce isn’t as difficult to make as you might think. And if you want a pescetarian option, you can swap the ham for salmon to make Eggs Royale, or go veggie and replace it with spinach to make Eggs Florentine.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 3

Method: hollandaise sauce

Slowly melt the butter in a medium pan, stirring occasionally. Once it has fully melted, pour it into a jug for later. 

Very finely chop the shallot and place it in a saucepan with the white wine vinegar, peppercorns and bay leaf and bring to the boil over a high heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced to 2 tablespoons and then remove from the heat.

Place your RSPCA Assured egg yolks in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water,  careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Now whisk the egg yolks together with the salt and sugar until it forms a pale mixture. 

Add the vinegar mixture to the yolks by pouring it through a fine sieve and continuing to whisk until well combined. Slowly add

in the butter, whisking constantly to create a smooth, rich sauce which looks almost shiny. 

Set your hollandaise sauce aside and keep it warm until ready to serve.

Method: poached eggs

Half fill a large pan with water, add 2 tbsp of white wine vinegar and bring to the boil before lowering to a gentle simmer. Crack your eggs, one-by-one, into a small bowl and gently tip them into the simmering water. It’s best not to overcrowd your eggs, so you might need to do this one-by-one depending on your skill level and pan size.  

Poach your eggs in the boiling water for 2–3 minutes. Them remove them with a slotted spoon and plunge them directly into iced water to stop them cooking further. You will need to drop them into the hot water again for one minute, once your sauce is ready, to

warm them before serving. 

Toast the muffin halves and place a slice of RSPCA Assured ham on top. Then place your eggs on top, spoon over some of your hollandaise sauce and sprinkle with chopped chives to finish.