Eggs Benedict with crispy bacon

The king of brunches! This hollandaise method takes a little more time than most, but we promise you won’t make it any other way once you’ve tried it. We love the texture contrast of crispy bacon (especially when it’s cooked in the AGA), but you can make it with ham if you prefer.

With thanks to Rebecca Woollard for the recipe.

Eggs Benedict with crispy bacon
  • 6 rashers good quality streaky bacon
  • 2 medium free-range eggs,
  • Very fresh Sunflower or olive oil, for greasing
  • 1 English muffin, split in half


For the hollandaise

  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 blade of mace
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 free-range egg yolk
  • 60g unsalted butter, cold, chopped into small cubes


Serves 2

1. For the hollandaise, put the vinegar, mace, peppercorns, and shallot in a small saucepan with 3 tbsp water and put the pan on the boiling plate. Simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce to around 2 tbsp of liquid. Strain the reduction into a bowl, pressing down on the shallots to get all the liquid out. Set aside. Lay the bacon out on a lined baking tray and bake in the bottom of the roasting oven for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and cooked to your liking. Transfer to the warming oven while you prepare everything else.

2. To poach the eggs, lightly oil a ladle, then crack the egg into it. Put a saucepan of hot water on the simmering plate – it should just be producing the odd bubble from the bottom, not simmering. Lower the ladle very carefully into it, gently allowing the water to get into the ladle, and hold it there until the outside of the egg has formed a white barrier. Once that happens, carefully slide the egg into the water and poach for 2-3 minutes, until the white has set. Repeat with the second one, then transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and keep warm on the hotplate.

3. To make the hollandaise, put 1 tbsp of the reduction into a mixing bowl that fits on top of a pan of hot water and place it on the simmering plate. Add the egg yolk and a pinch of salt and whisk until foamy. Add a cube of butter and whisk until the butter has melted, then add another one. After 2-3 cubes the sauce should start to thicken - if it doesn’t, whisk without adding butter until it does. If the sauce gets too thick, move the pan to a cooler part of the cooker, then add a splash of cold water.

4. Once all the butter has been added, taste the sauce, and add a little more reduction or salt as needed. It should be buttery but also nicely acidic and the texture should thickly coat the back of a spoon. Cover with clingfilm directly touching the surface and remove from the heat but leave on the pan of water.

5. Toast the muffin halves on a toasting rack, put them on a plate, and cut side up. Top with three rashers of bacon each, then a poached egg. Stir the hollandaise, then spoon over the eggs and garnish with a little parsley. Serve immediately.

Cook’s tip: If you regularly make hollandaise, you can make a big batch of the reduction and keep it in the fridge – it will last for up to 3 months.

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