Christmas Day Breakfast - Eggs Benedict - help needed

[haggisaggis]

Both dh and ds love Eggs Benedict and have requested it for breakfast. I have got to the age of 52 without ever making Hollandaise sauce. I have Googled many recipes and am now more scared of making it than I was before - does anyone have a failsafe, well tried recipe they would like to share? Also - how do you manage to keep an eye on the poached eggs and make the sauce at the same time? (wish they'd just make do with smoked salmon and bagels!)

Marks used to do a fresh one I think - not sure if they still do. Love eggs benedict but love eggs Florentine more

If you've never made it before, then they won't know the difference... buy a pre-made one!

Not being helpful but,

Tell them to make it themselves or put up with scrambled :D

Hoping someone comes on with that failsafe recipe because now I want to make as well (not on christmas but maybe Boxing Day)

I don't use a recipe as such but I:

Separate three egg yolks (I always plan to save the white for meringue, and never do).

Whisk them gently in a glass bowl.

Heat up a chunk of butter (maybe 50-75g) in a saucepan, and scrape off the frothy bit with a spoon.

Make a Bain Marie using a small saucepan with a little water, and put the egg yolk bowl over it, heat the gag very gently not allowing the water to touch the bowl.

Turn the gas under the Bain Marie very low, and slowly pour in the melted clarified butter. Whisking gently as you go.

Add salt and pepper, tarragon, whatever at the end.

If it splits, put a dash of very cold water in and it'll re-congeal.

Oh shit, I forgot the vinegar!!

Add about a tsp of white vinegar to the eggs yolks when you're whisking they before hearing them!

And you may need more butter to make to go further, I usually melt a bit more than I think I'll need.

Thanks Anon. I think I'll have a practise at the weekend. Only issue I have is we have an electric hob and only 1 ring of it will adjust to anything less than a furious boil (roll on January when we get our new kitchen!)
I would use a decent bought sauce but nearest Waitrose is around 70 miles away (I'm in Scotland) but I'll check M&S so thanks for that.
Of course they could try and make it themselves - but it's Christmas when you try and do nice things for those you love - I've no doubt they will happily eat something else if I cop out.

Please buy it!

Tesco’s one in a jar is really lovely x

When I worked in hotels the chef's would poach all the eggs, and then when they were nearly cooked plunge them into a bowl of iced water.

When you are ready for the eggs, bring a pan of water to a simmer and then you can put all of the pre-cooked eggs into the pan together and heat them back up.

It has worked at home really well for me. Ive made Jamies hollandasie before and it worked fine.

Maille do a lovely one available in our local Tesco and Morrison’s so should be readily available. Just add a knob of butter to finish it.