Great Harvest Eggs Benedict

One of the most beloved breakfast dishes of all time, Eggs Benedict, gets a new twist by being perched atop slices of Great Harvest Dakota or Nine Grain Bread instead of the ho-hum English muffin. There are countless ways to vary this dish, but we think that the texture and flavor brought to this preparation by our whole grain bread makes it a real standout. The accompanying hollandaise sauce is so good we have to stop ourselves from eating it with a spoon right out of the bowl. Try varying your meat choices, using the traditional Canadian bacon, crisp belly bacon, sliced smoked ham, smoked salmon, or even sliced ripe tomato and avocado.

Eggs Benedict is a dish whose success hinges on timing. The sauce must be made ahead of time but kept warm without overheating, the meat must be hot, the bread toasted, the eggs perfectly poached. This can be intimidating, but well worth the effort.

Serves 6
Total Time: 45 minutes
Active Time: 45 minutes

For the Sauce

Hollandaise sauce, while simple in ingredients, can be a challenging one to make. You are essentially making an emulsion, which is one liquid suspended in another. Be careful not to get the mixture too hot, or it will break (the egg yolk mixture will separate from the butter). If it gets too cold it will seize up (the butterfat will become a semi-solid). The sauce can be made up to 30 minutes in advance and kept warm in a double boiler setup with the heat turned very low while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients. Cover the container with plastic wrap to avoid a skin forming on the top. It is useful to have another person to help assemble at the end.

Ingredients
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon warm water
1/2 pound melted butter (2 sticks), warm
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of half a lemon, or to taste
Several drops of Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

• In a medium size metal mixing bowl whisk together the yolks and warm water. Hold warm melted butter in a heat proof glass measuring cup on the side of the stove. Place a medium size saucepan with 2 inches of water on the stove and turn to low. When water is steaming, but not quite simmering, lay a folded damp towel over the pan and place bowl on top.
• Begin whisking mixture vigorously until it begins to thicken, doubles in volume, and forms a smooth ribbon from your whisk. Begin to drizzle in butter slowly while whisking. Be careful not to go too fast or the sauce will break. Continue whisking until all the butter is incorporated and the sauce has thickened back up again.
• Add lemon juice, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you do not want black flecks in your yellow sauce white pepper may be used or eliminate the pepper entirely. At this point adjust the consistency with warm water if necessary. Keep sauce warm as described above.

For the Eggs Benedict

Ingredients
12 slices Great Harvest Dakota or Nine Grain Bread, approximately 3 inches wide
12 slices Canadian bacon or other meat of your choosing, kept warm
12 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons sliced chives

Method

• Place a large straight-sided skillet half-filled with water (at least 3 inches) on the stove. Heat the water to barely simmering. Add 1 teaspoon white vinegar to the water.
• Toast bread until lightly brown, but still soft. Carefully crack eggs into water, making sure that the tops are submerged. Poach until yolk is still runny and whites are set. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and drain well. I often put a couple of folded paper towels in my other hand and blot the bottom of the spoon to remove excess water before placing on the bread slice.

To Assemble:

• Place bread slices on plates, top with meat and a poached egg. Spoon sauce over the top and sprinkle with chives.