Variations of Eggs Benedict

[iL Divo]

I love eggs benedict at restaurants and find myself always ordering it when we go to breakfast. Problem is, I know there are a variety of ways to change it up a bit. I've had it with avocado slices and a cumin flavored hollandaise sauce, but don't know if anyone would have any other suggestions of what to do if I made it at home to change things, like for an Easter morning or Christmas morning or similar. Thank you if you can help.

[eclecticsynergy]

I dated a chef for awhile some years ago. She used to make me Eggs Blackstone, a Benedict variation using fresh ripe tomato, bacon, egg and Bearnaise. Very yummy.

Those eggs may have been the primary reason why I shed twenty pounds without even trying after we split up. Wish I could lose weight that easily today!

[Terrie H.]

I love a Chesapeake Bay version that uses country ham and a crabcake. I've also had a good version at a long gone New Orleans style place that did a jambalaya flavored rice cake as the base, with crawfish tails in the hollandaise. Another memorable version was at an inn in Delaware that served asparagus and crabmeat in potato skins as the base (it was 20 years ago and I still wish I had asked how they made the potato skins because I've never had one again that was as good as this).

My father used to make eggs benedict a couple of times a year when I was growing up. Hollandaise from scratch (probably where I learned my first curse words) -- I wouldn't eat poached eggs back then, so I was served "Benedict," sans eggs.

[Googs]

I fear that Eggs Benedict will go the way of poutine and become and unrecognizable stunt dish. That said, I'm still curious as to the characteristics of the potato skins that made them so memorable. What do you recall, Terri H?

[Terrie H.]

Googs, the potato skins weren't the dense, flacid, greasy things I've most often been served. There wasn't too thick of the potato flesh, and they must have been dipped in an especially thin batter because they were very crispy but the potato wasn't overcooked. Sorry I can't be more specific, but it was a long time ago.

[blue room]

https://plus.google.com/+JakeCroston/...

sorry!

[pikawicca]

Served in a steamed artichoke base.

[CapeCodGuy]

I make the following substitutions....

I substitute a brioche bun for the English muffin.
And replace the Canadian Bacon with 1/3 lb. of quality ground chuck
Then I sub a thick slice of cheddar for the egg
And lastly, I add a tbs. of ketchup in place of the hollandaise.

I attached a photo of the result below...

[MGZ]

Why remove the egg? That sounds fine (it's called a cheeseburger - many folks have tried 'em), but it'd be better with the poached egg and hollandaise.

[c oliver]

Have you told your cheeseburger yet that it's impersonating egg benedict?!? :) Cute post.

[CapeCodGuy]

glad to see at least one out of two posters "gets me".... ;-)

[MGZ]

Hell, dude, I got you, I just think cheeseburgers at breakfast are better with egg and hollandaise. Just don't cook the meat past 120 - it permits the best blend.

[CapeCodGuy]

Cheeseburgers for breakfast? That's just plain gross. I'd rather have my variation of Eggs Benedict as described above.

[nomnomnoms]

A local brunch place does them with potato bread and cilantro pesto hollandaise. That and some quality ham. So good, especially with the house made hot sauce!

[c oliver]

One of our fave breakfast places serves "Bakers Benedict." In place of the Candian bacon, they use a sausage patty. And there's a little chipotle and a smidge more lemon in the Hollandaise sauce.

[tim irvine]

And for those times when you want Eggs Benedict but are avoiding ich sauces, a poached egg on an English muffin with a squeeze of lemon...

[ctfoodie]

I do a traditional english muffin topped with roasted pork belly, topped with a poached egg. Instead of hollandaise i do a miso butter a la Momofuku. it is delish and a twist on the ordinary. Oh and adding asparagus is also yummy.

[scorpioscuba]

I like to use some really good thick cut bacon, raw spinach leaves, roma tomato slices and avocado slices on top of the english muffin and topped off with a poached egg and hollandaise.

[Passadumkeg]

Chester Pike's Galley, in Sullivan, Maine, makes a killer Lobster Benedict (sorry). I'll suggest that they rename it Eggs Hommer , next time we're there.

[Scargod]

Sounds great. How about Traitorous Eggs Benedict Arnold?

[kkak97]

I may make the trip just to try this!!!

[Passadumkeg]

Chester Pike's as has Egg Chester; w/ fresh spionich, crab cake and Hol. sauce. Another killer.

[othervoice]

One of my favorites. This version I've made at home and I've never seen it in a restaurant, but some will make it for you if you ask.
A very hearty dish:
I use the extra large English Muffins and thin slice steak, a good ribeye or sirloin, top with eggs and instead of the usual hollandaise, I use Bernaise sauce, which is delicious with steak.

[iL Divo]

that sounded like decadent fair and delicious until the bernaise was mentioned as tarragon and I don't mix well :(
I'd do it as listed only using the original hollandaise, which I love

[poached]

Most unique way I've had them is in Baltimore:
poached egg, slice of green tomato on a sweet corn cake with a slightly spicey holndaise sauce- very tasty
my personal fav is the florentine

[FoodFuser]

Due to vagaries of birthplace, my culinary traditions more often involved the split buttermilk biscuit as the base of the benedict. The quest for the breakfast Benedict has often oscillated between the biscuit (cut it from peak to plate with only a fork) and the English muffin.

A few fun links on your quest for variation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggs_Benedict

http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/eggmcmuffin.htm

http://theperfectpancake.blogspot.com/2006/12/english-muffins-and-sauce-hollandaise.html

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&pwst=1&q=egg%20benedict%20%20hollandaise&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/post.a...

[iL Divo]

oh don't even get me started on the elusive biscuit. now that's another thread all together. I am totally convinced that there isn't a perfect biscuit to be had in my home.

[morwen]

I made hockey pucks until I spent a morning in the kitchen with our B&B host in Ireland learning how to make scones. That "cut the butter into the flour until it resembles peas" direction had been my 1st problem and then I was mixing and handling the dough waaaay too much. She had me cut the butter in roughly and then mix everything until it just held. Then it went on the board and got patted out to the appropriate thickness and cut to shape. After that revelation, all my similar pastry type things leaped forward: scones, piecrusts AND biscuits. Light, flakey and in the case of biscuits and scones, high rising.

[iL Divo]

I'd love to know where you got your morning training session in Ireland. city of the B&B. name of it etc. I'm really curious to have a scone up in the tiny city where a mandatory stop is made when you're on the 14 hour tour from Edinburgh Scotland up to the Highlands to visit the 'heeland coos".
they're said to be the best ever, but I've not had the pleasure of what an authentic scone rated as best is yet. :(
suppose there's still time.

[chef chicklet]

The variation that I would love try sometime is the one with the fried thick tomato is the base, ham and egg topped with hollandaise or bernaise sauce and a sprinkle of diced tomatoes and tarragon. I don't know if it was Paula Deen or who made the one with the fried green tomato but it looked really good to me.

[Candy]

I made an Irish version for St. Patrick's day. Irish boxty in place of the english muffin, smoked salmon, poached egg and of course Hollandaise sauce.

[Altaira]

At the Artcliff Diner on Martha's Vineyard they have a dish that is codfish cakes as the bottom, poached egg, spicy hollandaise and arugula. Yummm. They have the best codfish cakes I've ever encountered: chunky, made with skin-on new potatoes.

[Sherri]

I can't call it "Eggs Benedict" because it isn't but we eat a lot of differing versions of Green Eggs & Ham, with thanks to Dr. Seuss. Make a jalapeno-hollandaise or use pesto or guacamole for sauce; the "ham" can be anything your heart desires from crab to prosciutto to crisp bacon. My personal favorite for weekend breakfasts involve Salsa Verde, corn tortillas, chorizo and eggs - nothing like "Eggs Benedict" but great green eggs & ham!

[iL Divo]

salsa verde, oh now that sounds lovely

[Googs]

Here are a few from one of my local brunch places. My fave is still the traditional, but I do love Eggs Benjamin.

Eggs Benedict
Peameal bacon, soft poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, toasted english muffin

Chicken Eggs Benedict
grilled breast of chicken, soft poached eggs, toasted english muffin, hollandaise sauce

Chicken Creole Eggs Benedict
Grilled breast of chicken, soft poached eggs, toasted English muffin, hollandaise sauce

Eggs Florentine
Fresh cooked spinach, soft poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, toasted english muffin

Eggs Benjamin
Smoked salmon, swiss cheese, soft poached eggs, toasted English muffin, hollandaise sauce

Creole Eggs Benedict
peameal bacon, soft poached eggs, toasted English muffin, creole sauce

Creole Benjamin
Smoked salmon, swiss cheese, soft poached eggs, toasted English muffin, creole sauce

Classic Benedict
Fresh cooked spinach, peameal bacon, soft poached eggs, toasted English muffin, hollandaise sauce

Classic Benjamin
Fresh cooked spinach, smoked salmon, swiss cheese, soft poached eggs, toasted English muffin, hollandaise sauce

[iL Divo]

you just did my heart good, or else I gained 299 lbs, either way, thank you, you really added to my list of ways to make it.

[MGZ]

Pulled pork barbeque as a substitute for the ham.

[kkak97]

One of my all time favorites was poached eggs served on tasso and crawfish hash with hollandaise. Simply amazing!!

The next most memorable was crab cakes.

You can dress up the hollandaise with a touch of chipoltle powder for each of these. The smokey spice of it adds a lovely touch.

[morwen]

We do Blue Ridge Benedicts: a split buttermilk biscuit, layered with paper thin slices of country ham, poached eggs, and topped with creamy white sausage gravy.

[iL Divo]

yum, sounds so good. I thought you were going to say to toss in a small amount of bleu cheese.

[morwen]

We lived just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in SW VA when we came up with it one morning using all regional foods. But I am a HUGE bleu cheese fan and you've given me a spark for yet another variation!

[coll]

I always make it at home with Champagne sauce, when I have some leftover. Easier than Hollandaise.

[Non Cognomina]

I love classic eggs benedict, but at home I like make this version:

Poached egg with Mousseline Sauce (basically hollandaise with whipped cream folded in just before serving) over cubes of grilled country ham in a puff pastry cup. Mmmmm, is it time for brunch yet?

[pepper_mil]

It's a blank canvas. We had easily a dozen versions at the restaurant where I used to work - oysters and bacon, pancetta and asparagus; spinach and feta; tomato and basil; montreal smoked meat; chili and cheese; turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, and stuffing for occasions; black truffle with I forget what....one version had chipotle mixed into the hollandaise. People could get it made with rye or other bread if they wanted. Construction was always starch (with butter) at the bottom, then extras, egg, hollandaise.

[iL Divo]

was the place you worked called the Pepper Mill? curious because we've always loved that place but only for breakfast.

[ziggylu]

My husband loves eggs benedict and spanish flavors. So I'll make a hash out of potatoes, onions, garlic, red bell peppers and chorizo. Poached egg on top and then make hollandaise with smoked paprika as an accent in it. One of his favorite special occasion breakfasts.

[Clarkafella]

I've had 'em at a place in Key West where they substituted poached oysters for the canadian bacon- yummy!

[Scargod]

One of the best I've had was in Austin. Mexican "Cornbreadish" muffin, outstanding hickory-smoked bacon and a chipotle-based hollandaise.

[beelzebozo]

sam & omie's on the outer banks replaces the canadian bacon with lump crab meat. not too shabby!

[maria lorraine]

I substitute lox for the Canadian bacon sometimes.