Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon

From the kitchen of Carly

The brunch order made at home: poached eggs and silky smoked salmon on toasted English muffins, blanketed in lemony hollandaise. Classier than a regular Benedict, less work than you think, especially if you make the hollandaise blender-style. Hollandaise wants warm, not hot. If yours splits, whisk in a teaspoon of cold water off the heat to bring it back.

Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon

Poached eggs with a runny yolk and silky hollandaise are the point here, but the smoked salmon lifts it into proper territory. The trick is making hollandaise first so it stays warm and glossy while you handle the more finicky eggs. Twenty-five minutes nets you four elegant plates that feel like a restaurant move but require only one pan and steady whisking.

Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 4large eggs (for poaching)
  • 2 tbspwhite wine vinegar (for the poaching water)
  • 2English muffins, split
  • 1 tbspsoft butter (for the muffins)
  • 8 slicessmoked salmon
  • 1 tbspfresh chives, finely chopped
  • 2 tsplemon juice (for the hollandaise)
  • 2 tspwhite wine vinegar (for the hollandaise)
  • 3egg yolks
  • 4 oz(125 g)unsalted butter, melted (for the hollandaise)

Instructions

  1. Make the hollandaise first; it can sit in a warm spot while you poach.

  2. In a heatproof bowl, combine the lemon juice, 2 tsp white wine vinegar, and the egg yolks. Whisk until pale and frothy.

  3. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (water shouldn't touch the bottom of the bowl). Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and ribbons off the whisk, 3 to 5 minutes.

  4. Slowly stream in the melted butter, whisking constantly. If the sauce looks like it's splitting, lift off the heat and whisk vigorously to bring it back. Season with salt. Cover loosely and keep warm.

  5. For the eggs, bring a large saucepan of water to a gentle simmer (just below boiling). Add the 2 tbsp vinegar.

  6. Crack each egg into a small ramekin. Stir the simmering water in a circle to make a slow whirlpool. Slide the eggs into the water one at a time. Poach for 3 to 4 minutes for a runny yolk.

  7. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to drain.

  8. While the eggs cook, lightly toast the English muffins. Butter the cut sides.

  9. Layer 2 slices of smoked salmon on each muffin half. Top with a poached egg.

  10. Spoon a generous amount of hollandaise over each. Scatter chives. Serve immediately.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Make hollandaise in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, not boiling, and whisk constantly. If it breaks or looks slick, pull the bowl off the heat and whisk vigorously off-heat to cool it slightly and pull it back together.
  • Poach eggs in water with vinegar added, then create a gentle whirlpool before you slide each one in. This helps the white wrap around the yolk instead of spreading. Paper towels are essential for draining.
  • Toast the muffins lightly and butter them while the eggs are still cooking. Everything hits the plate warm this way.
  • Smoked salmon can be a bit salty, so taste your hollandaise before seasoning heavily. A squeeze of fresh lemon at the end helps balance richness.
  • The egg yolk richness matters here. Use the freshest eggs you have for both the hollandaise and the poaching.

Variations

  • Skip the smoked salmon and add sautéed spinach, mushrooms, or tomato slices on the muffin before the egg.
  • Make it with crispy bacon or prosciutto instead of smoked salmon for a simpler, smokier profile.
  • Use whole grain or sourdough bread if English muffins aren't on hand. Toast thick, it needs structure to hold the egg.
  • Add a pinch of cayenne or paprika to the hollandaise, or finish with fresh dill instead of chives for a Scandinavian lean.

Make ahead and storage

Best eaten immediately while everything is hot and the yolk is still molten. Leftover components can be stored separately in the fridge for up to 2 days, but reheating breaks the hollandaise and the poached egg texture won't recover well.

Substitutions
  • smoked salmon to Canadian bacon, prosciutto, or wilted spinach. Spinach is the Florentine version, also classic. Canadian bacon is the original Benedict; prosciutto is the upscale move.
  • stovetop hollandaise to blender hollandaise. Blender method: blitz egg yolks with lemon juice 30 seconds, then drizzle hot melted butter through the lid while running. Faster, nearly foolproof.
  • English muffins to toasted brioche, biscuits, or potato rosti. Brioche brings sweetness; biscuits go full Southern. Potato rosti is the gluten-free path.

Pairs well with: A glass of mimosa or sparkling wine, Roasted breakfast potatoes or hash browns, Fresh-squeezed orange juice and strong black coffee