Recipes for the Busy Family: Eggs Benedict

Ingredients (serves 4)

Preheat grill on high and line a baking tray with foil. Poach eggs as directed in the basic poached eggs recipe (see related recipes).
To make the easy hollandaise sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Use a metal spoon to skim any foam from the surface. Pour the clear yellow butter into a heatproof jug. Discard milky residue. Place egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and 1/2 the hot water in a blender. Blend on high until mixture is pale and thickens slightly. With the motor running, add hot butter in a thin, steady stream. Add remaining water to thin the sauce slightly. Season with pepper, and extra lemon juice and salt, if necessary. Half fill a large bowl with warm water (if water is too hot, the sauce will curdle). Pour sauce into a small bowl and place in the large bowl.
Place the ham speck on the lined tray. Cook under preheated grill, turning once, for 4-6 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Place the baguette slices on the lined tray and cook under preheated grill, turning once, until toasted. Spread with the butter, if desired. Turn the grill off and cover the bread with foil to keep warm.
Reheat eggs by bringing a clean pan of water to the boil then removing it from heat. Add eggs. Stand, covered, for 1 minute. Remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
Place toasted bread on serving plates and top with ham and eggs. Stir hollandaise sauce and drizzle over the eggs. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Ham speck is cured, smoked pork. If you can't find it, use thinly sliced ham instead. Variation: To make eggs benedict with smoked salmon, replace the ham speck with 200g sliced smoked salmon (do not cook).

Make hollandaise Process vinegar and egg yolks in a food processor. With motor running, slowly add add butter in a thin stream. This should take 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Transfer to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover surface with wrap.
Pour water into a saucepan to two-thirds fill it. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Break 1 egg into a saucer. Stir water until a whirlpool forms. Slide egg into water. Cook, without stirring, for 3 minutes for a soft yolk or 4 minutes for a semi-soft. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining eggs.
Meanwhile, toast muffins. Top muffin bases with spinach, ham, avocado and eggs. Drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Top with muffin tops. Serve.

Preheat oven to 100C. Line an oven tray with foil. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add half the bacon and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning once, or until golden and crisp. Transfer to lined tray. Repeat with remaining bacon. Place into oven to keep warm.
For sauce, whisk yolks and lemon juice together in a small heatproof bowl. Place bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (make sure bowl doesn't touch water). Add 1 piece of butter. Whisk until melted. Continue adding butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking after each addition, until sauce starts to thicken. Once this happens you can add 3-4 pieces at a time, continuing until all butter has been added. If bowl gets too hot remove from heat and continue adding butter, then return to pan. If sauce is too thick, add a little hot water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place toast on plates. Top with bacon and poached eggs. Spoon over hollandaise sauce and sprinkle with tarragon. Season to taste. Serve.

Cook's tip: For something different, try replacing the bacon with slices of smoked salmon and the tarragon with dill. Wilt baby spinach leaves in a little butter in a frying pan over low heat, then serve alongside eggs Benedict.