Eggs Benedict is one of my all-time favourite Sunday Brunch recipes! It’s versatile, delicious, and full of flavour. (It’s also full of calories so don’t make it an Every-Sunday thing).
This weekend, life slowed down a little bit and my Husband and I were able to get out and explore Vancouver. I had heard there were floating fish markets on the wharves in Richmond and downtown Vancouver where fishermen sold their fresh catches. I had been dying to get down there ever since we arrived in December.
For the last month, I have also been focusing on living a clean lifestyle free of alcohol and processed food. We finally purchased our new home in Vancouver, so this weekend was a bit of a celebration and I was anxious to temporarily incorporate delicious rich buttery food back into the mix! Cue: Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict.
I was on a mission to find wild sockeye smoked salmon. Where I’m from (on the Atlantic Coast), farmed Atlantic Salmon is pretty common but as rule, I tend to prefer wild fish. I love the vibrant colour of sockeye salmon and definitely favour the taste.
After I grabbed my salmon from Richmond, I picked up a package of organic free range eggs, fresh dill, lemons, and capers. The perfect combination for Eggs Benedict!
I haven’t always had the best relationship with hollandaise sauce. The first time I tried my inexperience resulted in scrambled egg yolks. I tried again a year later, only to have a very buttery broken mess on my hands. Eventually, I started to take it personally and made it my mission to develop a perfectly balanced velvety sauce.
It takes some wrist endurance and attention, but if you pay attention to the temperature of your simmering water – homemade hollandaise sauce is actually pretty easy!
Recipe for Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict:
- 150g Smoked Salmon
- 4 Free Range Eggs
- Splash of Vinegar
- 2 English Muffins
- 1/4 Red Onion (Thinly Sliced)
- 2 Tablespoons of Capers
- 1 Handful of Fresh Dill
- Optional: Plain Cream Cheese
Recipe for Hollandaise Sauce
- 4 Large Egg Yolks
- 1.5 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
- Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
Instructions:
1: In a large oven-safe glass bowl, vigorously whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together. While whisking, melt 1/2 cup of butter.
2: Fill a saucepan with water and place on the stove over medium-high heat. Continue whisking while the water begins to simmer. Once lightly simmering, place your bowl over the water. It’s important that your bowl isn’t submerged in the water. It should just rest over the steam.
3: In a slow steady stream, pour your melted butter in with your yolks and lemon juice, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until your sauce has doubled in volume.
4: Remove from the heat and add salt and cayenne pepper (to taste). Keep in a warm place until ready to serve.
5: Fill a deep pot with water and turn heat to medium-high. Add a splash of vinegar. Once your pot is simmering, swirl a wooden spoon in the water and carefully crack two eggs, dropping them into the water. Be careful not to let your water boil, as you risk breaking your egg. Allow your egg to cook on a low simmer, and remove with a slotted spoon.
6: Toast English muffins. Apply optional plain cream cheese. Layer salmon, red onion and the poached eggs.
7: Pour a tablespoon of homemade hollandaise sauce over each poached egg, and top with fresh dill, capers, and additional red onion slices.
Enjoy!