Eggs Benedict is a brunch classic, but making it at home can be more challenging than it looks. The poached eggs, in particular, often decide whether the dish is a success or a soggy disappointment. Hoping to finally master it, I tried a recipe from a MasterChef star who promised a simple way to achieve perfectly poached eggs.
Speaking exclusively with Monica Galetti, she shared a few key tips that help alleviate the stress of the process and deliver reliable results. Here’s how I recreated her version of the classic brunch dish, featuring a delicious hollandaise sauce with a sriracha twist.
How to make the perfect poached egg
The celebrity chef shared: “So, it’s really straightforward. Ideally, it’s best to have your eggs at room temperature when you’re poaching them.”
Add water to a pot with a bit of vinegar, then bring it to a boil. Monica added: “It’s always best to crack the eggs into a little bowl first.
“So then when you drop them in, it’s got the form, whereas if you kind of crack the egg, it can go flat. So if you pre-crack the eggs, whisk the water with a whisk or a spoon, and then just drop it in.
“And if it keeps twirling, it’ll sort of um start to form together to come together.” Monica then said to turn down the pot to a gentle simmer once the egg hits the boil.
I put this to the test, and as seen in the picture above, the method Monica suggested worked better than cracking the egg straight into the pot, as the egg on the right turned out flat.
How to make Monica Galetti’s Eggs Benedict
Ingredients
Two medium eggsOne tablespoon of white wine vinegarWaterSaltEnglish muffins (or any bread of your choice)Two rashers of bacon or hamA pinch of dried parsley (optional)
For the hollandaise sauce:
100ml of white wine vinegar50ml of waterOne tarragon sprigOne tablespoon of white peppercorns (you can use coarse black pepper)250g of unsalted butterOne tablespoon of sriracha sauceThree medium egg yolksHalf a lemon, juiced
Method
Begin by making the hollandaise. Put the vinegar, tarragon, crushed peppercorns, and 50ml of water into a small saucepan. Then heat gently and let it bubble until it has reduced to about one tablespoon.
During this process, I would begin cooking your bacon. I like to make mine in the air fryer so I don’t have to pay much attention to it. Strain into a bowl and let it cool, discarding the solids.
Next, melt the butter in a saucepan over a low to medium heat. Leave it to cool slightly, then carefully pour the yellow butter into a jug, discarding the white solids.
I would use a mesh strainer for this, as it can be a bit annoying to separate the whites from the butter. Next, put the cooled vinegar mixture into a heatproof bowl and whisk in the egg yolks.
I used the eggshell method to separate the whites from the yolk. Add siracher and set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water.
Be careful not to let the heat get too high, as this can cause your sauce to split. Whisk constantly for five to eight minutes until the mixture is pale and thick.
Next, remove the bowl from the heat and slowly whisk in the warm melted butter. Finish off your sauce by adding a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little bit of water. I actually kept some of the vinegar, peppercorn and tarragon liquid and added that instead of water. When your sauce is done, keep warm over a pan of hot water or keep off the heat, stirring occasionally while you poach the eggs.
Meanwhile, begin toasting your muffins. I use a thin layer of butter before adding my bacon, then the egg, and finally the hollandaise sauce. I then garnished it with chilli flakes, a little salt, and dried parsley.
I’ll be honest, I’m not a massive fan of eggs, but this sauce was extremely delicious. If you add some dill pickles and a dash of Dijon mustard, this sauce would pair nicely with a burger or steak.
