Oh my goodness, Helen, I have watched at least 2dozen of your videos, but this is my first comment. I think you're just fantastic! You seem to think of everything to help the home cook, it's a real talent! Most chefs, whether on TV or YT, tend to ignore the many different situations of us less talented, less experienced, and less equipped home cooks who often get intimidated by certain recipes. You manage to address all of those concerns; seriously, you think of EVERYTHING! And watching you cook while instructing is an absolute pleasure! I follow a lot of cooking channels, but finding yours about a month ago has made me feel better than all the rest about trying things I previously thought I'd never be able to do without just making a big inedible mess. Cheers, Helen, you're the best!
Ah -- thanks! The reason I think of these situations is because I've been in them. I am a self taught cook. I didn't go to culinary school and only worked in the restaurants briefly. I mess up all the time, so your struggles are my struggles.
My wife's solution to scaling down hollandaise is simple: eat more. :P (That's not a dig, I'm really happy she likes my hollandaise. She was skeptical at first, but now asparagus with hollandaise is a Thanksgiving - and Valentine's, and anniversary, and date night, etc - tradition.)
LOVED that you included a game plan for actually making different portions of the recipe! And as always, superb presentation and in depth explanation of cooking techniques.
Fun fact: Eggs benedict made with smoked salmon instead of ham or bacon is called "Eggs royale". The veggie version using spinach instead of either is Eggs Florentine.
Also known as "Eggs Nova Scotia" since Scotland is known for its smoked salmon. Personally, I prefer Gravlox since I don't tolerate smoked food very well.
I had a similar dish back in the 1980s in a Vancouver restaurant: the expected poached egg, but smoked salmon instead of ham, béarnaise instead of hollandaise, and a few capers on top of the sauce. It was called "West Coast Eggs Benedict". It was delicious, and better than the traditional preparation.
For many years i was the designated "breakfast guy" several times a year. I have always wanted to do smoked salmon with bearnaise mixed with crab. But I have always thought it was a little too "out-there" for my Ohio friends.
@@ckahrl Unless you know they dislike or are sensitive to any of the ingredients, just say it's a variation of eggs benedict without telling them what's in it. They may surprise you. It was too long ago for me to remember what the bread was but I do remember it was not the typical English muffin. It was sturdier, both in flavour and texture, so your guess would be as good as mine.
i have to say, we love your videos in our house! partly because they're full of excellent advice and delicious recipes, but also because the level of sass you dole out is phenomenal 🤣 i definitely cackled at your call out of the google professors, an A+ bit. who cares what its called, so long as it tastes good!
Thank you for this! The hollandaise came out perfectly at a half portion. Poached eggs were super simple too. Will be my go to method for eggs Benny from now on!
Helen, long time viewer, and subscribe Mr, first time commenter. This is the holy grail of the home cooks video, I'm mindblown, and the part for plan of action and all those hidden gems like the shallot reduction, is what makes you the best! Cheers from Mexico!
It has been quite a while since the last time I actually looked forward to a video being released :D When I saw this one was up, I couldn’t stop myself from shouting „yay!“ Love your videos :D
I love the engineering approach to cooking. It's not scientific (because scientific means fail fail fail fail win), but engineering because it has to work 100% every time regardless of circumstances - everything is thought out and planned for, prioritised, sequented, programmed and then executed with precision. But then I'm a Scottish Engineer so obviously this appeals!
Excellent tutorial! Your step by step instructions are so clear and your positive approach is contagious! Makes me want to give this a try! Looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing 🤗🦋🌻🕊️
Youre seriously the best in practical home cooking. I've been loving your recipes but loving the tips you give even more. I come from a family of natural bakers and have never been confident about my baking until I discovered your videos! Thank you for being on youtube! ♥
Thank you for this wonderful tutorial! This weekend I had excellent results on my 1st attempt using the Chinese colander method you presented here and in last week's video. I'll never go back to the swirling egg drop soup vortex of doom method. This coming weekend I'll treat my Saturday breakfast guest to this version of E.B. I think I'll add a single drop of pomegranate molasses right on top for dramatic effect, and as a way to acknowledge the source.
You make me want to come to Boston just so I can take one of your classes. I really appreciate your humor and your approach to cooking. As a home cook, my biggest struggle is coming up with solid menus, whether it's a 2 week dinner rotation or special occasion meals I tend to overthink or just get tired of the same old same old. If you could share your tips and planning strategies for this it would be much appreciated. Thank you for your content and best wishes.
This video might be helpful: ua-cam.com/video/arSl-UsOtXM/v-deo.html By the way, I overthink this too. It takes me 2 hours to make a shopping list for the week because I can't decide what to cook ;)
@@helenrennie Aaahhh is that how you go about? I shop for food first then figure out what to make with it... I think your way is better as then I scramble not to waste any food all week!
I love your version of using shallot wine. we were taught in school to use gastride. it makes the hollandaise so much tastier. I also love your thermos idea. I always have a problem of keeping the hollandaise warm. Thank you so much for all your helpful tips.
The mixture she is creating at 11:12 is a form of a Beurre Monte. It can be used for many other things, not only to start an Hollandaise. I use it with dill and start it with cream as a base sauce on a plate for Salmon en Croute topped with a very simple arugula salad. What a comprehensive video!
Helen you have taught me tons of stuff that I have never heard of or not even mentioned before, it might be easy to access for culinary students and such people, but for someone cannot eat nor can find this kind of stuff in where i live,, you have turned my kitchen into a michelin starred restaurant. Thank you for everything
Thank you Helen! I love your videos and instructions. You do not rush and I can listen to you all day. You are very thorough. I am looking forward to trying this.
I have never made eggs Benedict before because I’m very intimidated but after this video I definitely have to give it a try. Thank you Helen for another very helpful well explained video!
I’m a long time viewer. Love the brains; love the videos; love the specifics; love the detail; the accent drives me nuts. Please keep up the excellent work
My family makes eggs benedict every Christmas morning. I decided to level up this year. Your hollandaise and egg advice was amazing! Put them on top a homemade everything bagel and Canadian bacon for a fantastic xmas brunch. I don't have a Chinese colander, but for 5 eggs my metal steamer basket worked perfectly!
Tip: whisk a generous pinch of xanthan gum into the egg yolks. This will boost the stability of the sauce, making it somewhat resilient to heat-harder to break, easier to keep warm, and possible to reheat. It still requires care to avoid breaking, but with some finesse (gentle/indirect heat and frequent whisking), it can be rewarmed after refrigeration.
In Thanksgiving: wishing you a blessed glorious day; what an amazing 😉 video; thank you; again thank you; Media Technical Support People and Staff: thank you, again, thank you
Special Intention: Mastef Chef Helen Rennie : it is a sincere joy to listen to and to learn from you: excellent cooking tips and what you prepare is outstandingly delicious 😋
Naw…..I bought the wonderful Knorr hollandaise mix pkg easy mix. I’m scaredy-cat but am trying….to stick with this video, so I can learn. I have 2 poaching scoops tools that I can utilize. I love ur videos! I learn so much. I’m subscribed totally!!!! Large love, from Ahna. Atlanta USA 👏👏👏👏👏👏
That looks absolutely delicious and the Chinese colander trick is so clever. Can't wait to try it. Excellent video. Thank you so much. America's Test Kitchen also has a clever way to poach eggs using a sous vide. I've done it quite a few times and, providing you follow the rules, it works well.
i would really love to listen to Helen narrating a children's bedtime story по-русский... какой так спокоющий голос! (yes i know my русский язык isn't that great)
This is by far the most helpful video on how to get your eggs benedict perfect! 👌 I never heard of topping it with leeks, and I love leeks, so I will defenatly give that a try!
I've always shied away from making Eggs Benedict because I'm afraid to mess up poaching an egg or making the hollandaise sauce but this video provides excellent tips and I'm excited to make this dish for my family at Thanksgiving. Thanks for another amazing video, Helen!
Thank you for this amazing video! I watched it yesterday and was very inspired, and pleased that my poorly stocked fridge had most of the ingredients for the basic recipe. I used vinegar with water instead of wine for the shallots, it turned out delicious!
Первый раз у меня не просто получилось сделать яйцо пашот, но и повторить его удачно во второй и третий раз! Огромное спасибо) все по полочкам и супер понятно 🙏
I ate 2 dozen hardboiled eggs over the last week...but after watching this video, I would happily eat another egg dish right now 😄 Can't wait to try this, it looks absolutely delicious!
@@helenrennie Lol. No, I'm just on a pre-christmas low carb diet right now and had a very busy week. So I kept just reaching for the hardboiled eggs as a convenient snack/meal. It's my brother's birthday this weekend though and I'm looking forward to a really nice meal or two 😄
You are a National Treasure. And should get a metal. Thanks for the tips!! (I'm always in charge of our egg benedict breakfast at family get togethers over the holidays) Definitely going to go the shallot route this year.
The recipe is no doubt the best eggs Benedict I have ever tasted but on my first attempt I nearly had a nervous breakdown, (no fault of Helen or the video). Apologies for the epic that follows but it is an example of what has become know as Tilley Luck......... I watched the video on it's release and my new Chinese Colander arrived from Amazon the next day but not in time to make Brunch. This morning with everything at the ready I confidently cracked my first egg into the colander but the yolk splattered all over so I conceded that my skill could not be trusted and I disposed of the failure and washed the plate and colander to start afresh. I re-oiled the colander and cracked a new egg into it immediately realising I had failed to sit it on the plate which was still on the draining board. I then realised I had also forgotten to oil the bottom side of the colander (which resulted in the predicted stalagmites after cooking). Frying pan of boiling the water my wife then came to the cooker to assist me by making the Hollandaise sauce and her stick of butter mysteriously launched into the air dropping into my boiling water instead of the saucepan waiting next to it. I attempted to rescue the butter with a spatula which sadly had been stirring the leeks, a goodly quantity of which were now also floating in the water in the fry pan - I tipped the whole thing out and started this operation all over again. While distracted by this my creamed leeks were turning into something more of the consistency of a pie filling but to my complete astonishment I actually assembled what appeared to be a perfect dish which tasted wonderful. I'm going to go and lie down now!!!
Helen, I love that you have revisited this dish again. As I mentioned to you on your older Hollandaise video, these methods completely changed how I approach this sauce and it has become my absolute #1 favorite dish to make for myself and friends, and I love that it is so easy to make a 1/2 butter stick/1 egg yolk version (I find that perfectly serves 2 people). I have even gone as far as to make the shallot/wine reduction in large batches and freeze them into little cubes. I call it my "hollandaise bouillon." Anyway, I am curious about something. Why did you change up your method with adding the yolks? Originally you were adding yolk(s) directly to the hot emulsion, but now you temper it first. I have found no issues with scrambling when using the direct method (I really like using a flat whisk for this job. Favorite whisk in the kitchen). What is it that convinced you to change your method? Or are you just trying to make this recipe a bit more "beginner friendly"?
I love the idea of freezing the shallot wine reduction! Your guess is exactly right about tempering the yolks. It's helpful for beginners. If you misjudged how hot your pot was or didn't start whisking quickly enough, it will still work. I had a few people complain on the old recipe that they scrambled the eggs, so I was trying to help them out.
@@helenrennie Long comment warning! I love freezing the reduction because then I can just toss a little cube straight into the pot and making tasty hollandaise is even EASIER. Combining that with poaching the eggs the night before, and my brunch morning is stress-free. For reheating the eggs, I pour out the refrigerated water the eggs were stored in, and I boil some water in the kettle. Right before I add the yolks to the sauce, I pour the water over the poached eggs (they are stored in a tempered glass container like Pyrex measuring cup or duralex bowl) and the water reheats them just perfectly while I finish making the sauce. The cool eggs and cool sides of the Pyrex bring the water temperature down so that it doesn’t overcook them, but if you were worried about that, you could just adjust your kettle water temperature accordingly. When the hollandaise is done, I just drain the eggs with slotted spoon and paper towel and serve on pre-made warmed plates already staged with the muffins (I used sliced toasted croissants) and protein of choice. Obviously if using a cold topping like the salmon, then I would just have those staged on another cold plate. Be warned though: my egg yolks are a bit more protected because I like to use the more pain-in-the-ass method of poaching 1 new egg into the water every 90 seconds. I swirl the water in a very specific way so the whites fully envelop the yolks and protect them. It’s kind of like a little assembly line where I add an egg (still strained first of course!) and baby it for 90 seconds until it starts to set, and then add another and repeat, and throughout the process I take the eggs back out as they are done. They look like beautiful little mozzarella balls. This makes them very pretty and plump. For your method which has more exposed yolks, using a gentler reheating temperature is likely best. Oh by the way! Don’t let people give you grief about the hollandaise “being a béarnaise.” I have found many sources that say even Escoffier himself would use a gastrique/reduction for hollandaise. Ruhlman used to have a great article about this on his website, but it appears it has since been removed from the server. But these flavors are very much acceptable in a classic hollandaise. Obviously everyone’s tastes are different, but for my reduction, I use approximately: • 125g shallots (thinly sliced is fine) • 1/4-1/2 dry bay leaf • 5g whole black peppercorns (not crushed!) • 400g white wine like 2-buck Chuck I simmer until the liquid is almost completely gone, then add a little water back to make things easier to strain. I strain it into a cup over a scale, pressing the solids to get out flavor. I add enough extra water until the liquid reaches 150g, and I pour 10 servings into little tbsp-sized silicone cube trays (15g each). That way I never accidentally add too much liquid to my hollandaise. If making a 1/2 butter stick hollandaise, I add the tbsp of “bouillon” and add the extra half tbsp of just water. For a full butter stick hollandaise, I just add 2 cubes and adjust extra water accordingly. I like to slightly undershoot my liquids when starting the hollandaise, as this leaves me more room to add lemon without thinning it too much. I can always add more water to thin it out, but it’s very difficult to fix a watery hollandaise without splitting. Speaking of which, you should do a video on fixing a split hollandaise. Using your method. I have definitely accidentally split it a couple times, but it turns out fixing it is insanely easy, and I am no longer scared of breaking it. If it breaks, just keep whisking over the heat until it breaks all the way, then immediately pour the sad sauce into a Pyrex cup. I intentionally don’t scrape out the pot, because we want to leave just a little bit behind. Take the pot off heat and add the smallest of amount of water, like just a 1/2tsp to start. Whisk until it re-emulsifies, and add extra water in 1/2tsp increments if needed. There should really just barely be some swirls of the sauce on the bottom of the pot, so this is where that flat whisk really comes in handy. Once the emulsion looks good (should really only take 5-10 seconds of whisking at this point) start adding back your broken sauce maybe a tbsp at a time (still off the heat). Once you have a stable emulsion again, add back the rest of the sauce and return to the heat to warm it back up. Sometimes I teach friends how to make this sauce with your method, and I’ll intentionally break it as a demonstration just to show them they don’t need to fear this sauce. Who knows? Maybe I should make this video? 😂😂😂 Thank you again Helen for your awesome channel. I hope you know how much you are a part of the confidence that I have found the last year and a half.
Pre poach the eggs the day before and just warm them up before assembly. Pre make the hollandaise and keep in a thermos OR make the hollandaise just before assembly. Get your appointed kitchen slave involved in toasting the bread and then helping to assemble as much as possible and keep warm in a very low to barely warm oven. When the hollandaise is ready and eggs are warmed, assemble with kitchen slave and serve. I have prepared eggs benedict this way for breakfast for 20+ ski chalet friends before going out to ski in the morning.
Since about 1970, I've been making Hollandaise (sometimes with a little variation) using Julia Child's recipe (usually reduced by one third) in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Easy, sure-fire, simpler than this.
Many people like all these variations on Eggs Benedict, but I'll hold my traditional recipe up to ANY of them. Mine take much longer because making Canadian bacon, and English muffins can't be done overnight. _(at least the bacon can't)_ but when everything is homemade? Including the butter? You just can't beat it.
I never really realised that Hollandaise and Mayonnaise are not that much different. I once made a Sauce Bearnaise for Lasagne, but it was accidentally ruined by a cooking mate. He should turn up the heat of the meat, but it was the Sauce. 😄
beautiful mate, this is not a bearnaise! we all know, rite peeps? there is no Tarragon, no Wine , no Chervil, maybe the OTHER ingredients you could add to a Hollandaise?? But this sounds like a tasty Hollandaise to me, i will try
Oh my goodness, Helen, I have watched at least 2dozen of your videos, but this is my first comment. I think you're just fantastic! You seem to think of everything to help the home cook, it's a real talent! Most chefs, whether on TV or YT, tend to ignore the many different situations of us less talented, less experienced, and less equipped home cooks who often get intimidated by certain recipes. You manage to address all of those concerns; seriously, you think of EVERYTHING! And watching you cook while instructing is an absolute pleasure! I follow a lot of cooking channels, but finding yours about a month ago has made me feel better than all the rest about trying things I previously thought I'd never be able to do without just making a big inedible mess. Cheers, Helen, you're the best!
Ah -- thanks! The reason I think of these situations is because I've been in them. I am a self taught cook. I didn't go to culinary school and only worked in the restaurants briefly. I mess up all the time, so your struggles are my struggles.
@@helenrennie I also forgot to mention that I found Food Wishes through you, as well. And I can't wait to get cracking on both of your recipes. Salud!
@Gavin B. CJP is fantastic!
Helen you really have talent for teaching! I wish i was closer to Boston to take some classes you offer!
Ditto!
My wife's solution to scaling down hollandaise is simple: eat more. :P
(That's not a dig, I'm really happy she likes my hollandaise. She was skeptical at first, but now asparagus with hollandaise is a Thanksgiving - and Valentine's, and anniversary, and date night, etc - tradition.)
Also, that method for poaching eggs is brilliant. Totally going to buy a Chinese colander to make poached eggs with.
LOVED that you included a game plan for actually making different portions of the recipe! And as always, superb presentation and in depth explanation of cooking techniques.
It three in the morning, can’t sleep. Absolutely obsessed with eggs Benedict. Maybe with your wonderful instructions I’ll be able to make it myself.
“…the water should barely quiver”. Your videos are pure poetry. Ah, and so informative! Love every single one of them.
Fun fact: Eggs benedict made with smoked salmon instead of ham or bacon is called "Eggs royale".
The veggie version using spinach instead of either is Eggs Florentine.
Ive heard it called 'Eggs Atlantica'
I thought that using spinach and salmon was "Eggs Hemingway." EDIT: Lol, I did some research; turns out all 3 are acceptable names.
Also known as "Eggs Nova Scotia" since Scotland is known for its smoked salmon. Personally, I prefer Gravlox since I don't tolerate smoked food very well.
I had a similar dish back in the 1980s in a Vancouver restaurant: the expected poached egg, but smoked salmon instead of ham, béarnaise instead of hollandaise, and a few capers on top of the sauce. It was called "West Coast Eggs Benedict". It was delicious, and better than the traditional preparation.
For many years i was the designated "breakfast guy" several times a year. I have always wanted to do smoked salmon with bearnaise mixed with crab. But I have always thought it was a little too "out-there" for my Ohio friends.
@@ckahrl Unless you know they dislike or are sensitive to any of the ingredients, just say it's a variation of eggs benedict without telling them what's in it. They may surprise you.
It was too long ago for me to remember what the bread was but I do remember it was not the typical English muffin. It was sturdier, both in flavour and texture, so your guess would be as good as mine.
I worked at a restaurant that did the same thing. I’d always ask the chef to save one for me when brunch was over.
Helen is the best, most fun, super chef on UA-cam. Just the TIPS are worth watching anything she does:)))
i learn more from this video more than culinary school + 7 years working in kitchen, thanks Helen you are amazing
You are THE MOST underrated food youtuber. We need to meme you asap, your talents need to shine. I'm so glad I found you
I ❤️ this channel even more than I do eggs Benedict! So many real world tips presented in a no fuss, reliable way.
You are such a delight to watch and learn from. I love your honest style and warm personality. Thank you!!
Thank you, Helen. Even as a hotel chef I can share and learn something new & fun with my staff.
i have to say, we love your videos in our house! partly because they're full of excellent advice and delicious recipes, but also because the level of sass you dole out is phenomenal 🤣 i definitely cackled at your call out of the google professors, an A+ bit. who cares what its called, so long as it tastes good!
Thank you for this! The hollandaise came out perfectly at a half portion. Poached eggs were super simple too. Will be my go to method for eggs Benny from now on!
so glad it turned out well :)
Helen, long time viewer, and subscribe Mr, first time commenter. This is the holy grail of the home cooks video, I'm mindblown, and the part for plan of action and all those hidden gems like the shallot reduction, is what makes you the best!
Cheers from Mexico!
It has been quite a while since the last time I actually looked forward to a video being released :D When I saw this one was up, I couldn’t stop myself from shouting „yay!“
Love your videos :D
Thank you, Helen!
Worked like a charm. Made just one poached egg with a slotted spoon. Such a good detailed and methodical explanation!
so glad this method worked well for you :)
I love the engineering approach to cooking. It's not scientific (because scientific means fail fail fail fail win), but engineering because it has to work 100% every time regardless of circumstances - everything is thought out and planned for, prioritised, sequented, programmed and then executed with precision. But then I'm a Scottish Engineer so obviously this appeals!
Excellent tutorial! Your step by step instructions are so clear and your positive approach is contagious! Makes me want to give this a try! Looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing 🤗🦋🌻🕊️
It's fun cooking, I'm also a chef and love making cooking videos! Have a nice day 😋😋😋
Those creamy leeks are a great sauce for egg noodles, especially if you brown some ground meat in the same pan before you add the leeks.
Ooooh I like that!
mmm -- yum :)
Oh my. You are a genius! The thermos to keep the sauce warm is amazing. Also always love your creativity 🙏💕
I like the pan method. Easier to wash an oily pan than an oily blender. Plus, better control. Thanks for sharing this method.
Youre seriously the best in practical home cooking. I've been loving your recipes but loving the tips you give even more. I come from a family of natural bakers and have never been confident about my baking until I discovered your videos! Thank you for being on youtube! ♥
Keep those terrific…..instructional videos coming along. I so appreciate them. 😀😀😀😀😀😀. Ahna USA
Thank you for this wonderful tutorial! This weekend I had excellent results on my 1st attempt using the Chinese colander method you presented here and in last week's video. I'll never go back to the swirling egg drop soup vortex of doom method.
This coming weekend I'll treat my Saturday breakfast guest to this version of E.B. I think I'll add a single drop of pomegranate molasses right on top for dramatic effect, and as a way to acknowledge the source.
Ah -- everything is better with pomegranate molasses :)
Hahaha. Pomegranate molasses is definitely the way to Helen’s heart. And make sure to say the word “homo-genius” as you’re mixing up the hollandaise.
You make me want to come to Boston just so I can take one of your classes. I really appreciate your humor and your approach to cooking. As a home cook, my biggest struggle is coming up with solid menus, whether it's a 2 week dinner rotation or special occasion meals I tend to overthink or just get tired of the same old same old. If you could share your tips and planning strategies for this it would be much appreciated. Thank you for your content and best wishes.
This video might be helpful: ua-cam.com/video/arSl-UsOtXM/v-deo.html By the way, I overthink this too. It takes me 2 hours to make a shopping list for the week because I can't decide what to cook ;)
@@helenrennie Thank you 😊
@@helenrennie Aaahhh is that how you go about? I shop for food first then figure out what to make with it... I think your way is better as then I scramble not to waste any food all week!
I love your version of using shallot wine. we were taught in school to use gastride. it makes the hollandaise so much tastier. I also love your thermos idea. I always have a problem of keeping the hollandaise warm. Thank you so much for all your helpful tips.
That chinese strainer trick is awesome!!
I love how you call out shade slinging witches
Helen just dunking on her haters in this video #asquareisalsoarectangle
The mixture she is creating at 11:12 is a form of a Beurre Monte. It can be used for many other things, not only to start an Hollandaise. I use it with dill and start it with cream as a base sauce on a plate for Salmon en Croute topped with a very simple arugula salad.
What a comprehensive video!
Helen you have taught me tons of stuff that I have never heard of or not even mentioned before, it might be easy to access for culinary students and such people, but for someone cannot eat nor can find this kind of stuff in where i live,, you have turned my kitchen into a michelin starred restaurant. Thank you for everything
Thank you Helen! I love your videos and instructions. You do not rush and I can listen to you all day. You are very thorough. I am looking forward to trying this.
The poaching method was a revelation. I immediately bought a Chinese colander and tested this morning: perfection! Thank you so much!
Thank you once again Helen, I
consistently find a new trick in ALL of your videos. Great job!
Wow. This is just a fantastic video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and taking the time to go deep into the details.
I have never made eggs Benedict before because I’m very intimidated but after this video I definitely have to give it a try. Thank you Helen for another very helpful well explained video!
OMG...I ended up drooling like a baby !! 🤤
Dear Helen, this may be your best video yet!
I’m a long time viewer. Love the brains; love the videos; love the specifics; love the detail; the accent drives me nuts. Please keep up the excellent work
My family makes eggs benedict every Christmas morning. I decided to level up this year. Your hollandaise and egg advice was amazing! Put them on top a homemade everything bagel and Canadian bacon for a fantastic xmas brunch.
I don't have a Chinese colander, but for 5 eggs my metal steamer basket worked perfectly!
Tip: whisk a generous pinch of xanthan gum into the egg yolks.
This will boost the stability of the sauce, making it somewhat resilient to heat-harder to break, easier to keep warm, and possible to reheat. It still requires care to avoid breaking, but with some finesse (gentle/indirect heat and frequent whisking), it can be rewarmed after refrigeration.
Thank you, Helen!!
Eggs Benedict is one dish that I am happy to pay for at my favorite breakfast restaurant.
Greetings from southcentral Texas USA 🇺🇸
In Thanksgiving: wishing you a blessed glorious day; what an amazing 😉 video; thank you; again thank you; Media Technical Support People and Staff: thank you, again, thank you
Special Intention: 🤗 hug , love ❤️ and be very very very safe
Special Intention: Mastef Chef Helen Rennie : it is a sincere joy to listen to and to learn from you: excellent cooking tips and what you prepare is outstandingly delicious 😋
Naw…..I bought the wonderful Knorr hollandaise mix pkg easy mix. I’m scaredy-cat but am trying….to stick with this video, so I can learn. I have 2 poaching scoops tools that I can utilize. I love ur videos! I learn so much. I’m subscribed totally!!!!
Large love, from Ahna.
Atlanta USA 👏👏👏👏👏👏
Helen I’m obsessed with this, but what bread did you use it looks heavenly. You slayed this as always!
My weekend project 😊❤
FLAWLESS 👌👌
That looks absolutely delicious and the Chinese colander trick is so clever. Can't wait to try it. Excellent video. Thank you so much.
America's Test Kitchen also has a clever way to poach eggs using a sous vide. I've done it quite a few times and, providing you follow the rules, it works well.
i would really love to listen to Helen narrating a children's bedtime story по-русский... какой так спокоющий голос! (yes i know my русский язык isn't that great)
This is by far the most helpful video on how to get your eggs benedict perfect! 👌
I never heard of topping it with leeks, and I love leeks, so I will defenatly give that a try!
I've always shied away from making Eggs Benedict because I'm afraid to mess up poaching an egg or making the hollandaise sauce but this video provides excellent tips and I'm excited to make this dish for my family at Thanksgiving. Thanks for another amazing video, Helen!
Brioche Toast and Smoked Salomon is my favorite
Sooo interested
And educating
Thank you for this amazing video! I watched it yesterday and was very inspired, and pleased that my poorly stocked fridge had most of the ingredients for the basic recipe. I used vinegar with water instead of wine for the shallots, it turned out delicious!
I think you're amazing, Helen!
Thanks for the technique on poached eggs and hollandaise, it seems like a cooking hack but the results are great
Fantastic mini-course, Helen, thank you!
Scary process…..but….I’m hanging in for this….further process. You give me courage….to watch further…..
Now I know what to serve on this Saturday brunch 🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼
Первый раз у меня не просто получилось сделать яйцо пашот, но и повторить его удачно во второй и третий раз! Огромное спасибо) все по полочкам и супер понятно 🙏
You've inspired me! I just happened to buy lox yesterday for this week's latkes; and now I have a use for the rest of the package!
you know what would be awesome -- this dish, but with a latke underneath instead of the english muffin :)
@@helenrennie You monster
I ate 2 dozen hardboiled eggs over the last week...but after watching this video, I would happily eat another egg dish right now 😄
Can't wait to try this, it looks absolutely delicious!
wow -- that's a lot of hard boiled eggs :) were you testing a recipe?
@@helenrennie
Lol. No, I'm just on a pre-christmas low carb diet right now and had a very busy week. So I kept just reaching for the hardboiled eggs as a convenient snack/meal. It's my brother's birthday this weekend though and I'm looking forward to a really nice meal or two 😄
Helen just controlled MY own Google Home Device 😂
Love your videos, by the way. But you already know it 😁
damn aunty helen straight roasted ya'll haters with that google rip
Hey helen! I made de bearnaise on sat night for asparagus with ham and eggs・・・wow!!! Sooo good!!
Excellent........l need.......very good.......
👍 Danke fürs Hochladen!
👍 Thanks for uploading!
👍 Very good and beautiful, thank you!
👍 Sehr gut und schön, danke!
Helen, you rock.
love the first hollandaise method! I don't mind the heat so maybe I'll finally try hollandaise for the first time.
You are a National Treasure. And should get a metal. Thanks for the tips!! (I'm always in charge of our egg benedict breakfast at family get togethers over the holidays) Definitely going to go the shallot route this year.
The recipe is no doubt the best eggs Benedict I have ever tasted but on my first attempt I nearly had a nervous breakdown, (no fault of Helen or the video). Apologies for the epic that follows but it is an example of what has become know as Tilley Luck......... I watched the video on it's release and my new Chinese Colander arrived from Amazon the next day but not in time to make Brunch. This morning with everything at the ready I confidently cracked my first egg into the colander but the yolk splattered all over so I conceded that my skill could not be trusted and I disposed of the failure and washed the plate and colander to start afresh. I re-oiled the colander and cracked a new egg into it immediately realising I had failed to sit it on the plate which was still on the draining board. I then realised I had also forgotten to oil the bottom side of the colander (which resulted in the predicted stalagmites after cooking). Frying pan of boiling the water my wife then came to the cooker to assist me by making the Hollandaise sauce and her stick of butter mysteriously launched into the air dropping into my boiling water instead of the saucepan waiting next to it. I attempted to rescue the butter with a spatula which sadly had been stirring the leeks, a goodly quantity of which were now also floating in the water in the fry pan - I tipped the whole thing out and started this operation all over again. While distracted by this my creamed leeks were turning into something more of the consistency of a pie filling but to my complete astonishment I actually assembled what appeared to be a perfect dish which tasted wonderful. I'm going to go and lie down now!!!
Oh my gosh -- kudos to you for persevering through all the challenges!
The long awaited Eggs Bennie episode!!
Brilliant video, thank you. I will be making this for breakfast on Christmas day.
Oh wow I know what’s for dinner!
Another lovely video. Thanks Helen!
Wow, fantastic.
My favorite breakfast! Thank you, this will really up my EBs
So lovely and so practical. Zen cooking.
Oh wow this is amazing!
Magnificent!
Helen, I love that you have revisited this dish again. As I mentioned to you on your older Hollandaise video, these methods completely changed how I approach this sauce and it has become my absolute #1 favorite dish to make for myself and friends, and I love that it is so easy to make a 1/2 butter stick/1 egg yolk version (I find that perfectly serves 2 people). I have even gone as far as to make the shallot/wine reduction in large batches and freeze them into little cubes. I call it my "hollandaise bouillon." Anyway, I am curious about something. Why did you change up your method with adding the yolks? Originally you were adding yolk(s) directly to the hot emulsion, but now you temper it first. I have found no issues with scrambling when using the direct method (I really like using a flat whisk for this job. Favorite whisk in the kitchen). What is it that convinced you to change your method? Or are you just trying to make this recipe a bit more "beginner friendly"?
I love the idea of freezing the shallot wine reduction! Your guess is exactly right about tempering the yolks. It's helpful for beginners. If you misjudged how hot your pot was or didn't start whisking quickly enough, it will still work. I had a few people complain on the old recipe that they scrambled the eggs, so I was trying to help them out.
@@helenrennie Long comment warning!
I love freezing the reduction because then I can just toss a little cube straight into the pot and making tasty hollandaise is even EASIER. Combining that with poaching the eggs the night before, and my brunch morning is stress-free. For reheating the eggs, I pour out the refrigerated water the eggs were stored in, and I boil some water in the kettle. Right before I add the yolks to the sauce, I pour the water over the poached eggs (they are stored in a tempered glass container like Pyrex measuring cup or duralex bowl) and the water reheats them just perfectly while I finish making the sauce. The cool eggs and cool sides of the Pyrex bring the water temperature down so that it doesn’t overcook them, but if you were worried about that, you could just adjust your kettle water temperature accordingly. When the hollandaise is done, I just drain the eggs with slotted spoon and paper towel and serve on pre-made warmed plates already staged with the muffins (I used sliced toasted croissants) and protein of choice. Obviously if using a cold topping like the salmon, then I would just have those staged on another cold plate.
Be warned though: my egg yolks are a bit more protected because I like to use the more pain-in-the-ass method of poaching 1 new egg into the water every 90 seconds. I swirl the water in a very specific way so the whites fully envelop the yolks and protect them. It’s kind of like a little assembly line where I add an egg (still strained first of course!) and baby it for 90 seconds until it starts to set, and then add another and repeat, and throughout the process I take the eggs back out as they are done. They look like beautiful little mozzarella balls. This makes them very pretty and plump. For your method which has more exposed yolks, using a gentler reheating temperature is likely best.
Oh by the way! Don’t let people give you grief about the hollandaise “being a béarnaise.” I have found many sources that say even Escoffier himself would use a gastrique/reduction for hollandaise. Ruhlman used to have a great article about this on his website, but it appears it has since been removed from the server. But these flavors are very much acceptable in a classic hollandaise. Obviously everyone’s tastes are different, but for my reduction, I use approximately:
• 125g shallots (thinly sliced is fine)
• 1/4-1/2 dry bay leaf
• 5g whole black peppercorns (not crushed!)
• 400g white wine like 2-buck Chuck
I simmer until the liquid is almost completely gone, then add a little water back to make things easier to strain. I strain it into a cup over a scale, pressing the solids to get out flavor. I add enough extra water until the liquid reaches 150g, and I pour 10 servings into little tbsp-sized silicone cube trays (15g each). That way I never accidentally add too much liquid to my hollandaise. If making a 1/2 butter stick hollandaise, I add the tbsp of “bouillon” and add the extra half tbsp of just water. For a full butter stick hollandaise, I just add 2 cubes and adjust extra water accordingly. I like to slightly undershoot my liquids when starting the hollandaise, as this leaves me more room to add lemon without thinning it too much. I can always add more water to thin it out, but it’s very difficult to fix a watery hollandaise without splitting.
Speaking of which, you should do a video on fixing a split hollandaise. Using your method. I have definitely accidentally split it a couple times, but it turns out fixing it is insanely easy, and I am no longer scared of breaking it. If it breaks, just keep whisking over the heat until it breaks all the way, then immediately pour the sad sauce into a Pyrex cup. I intentionally don’t scrape out the pot, because we want to leave just a little bit behind. Take the pot off heat and add the smallest of amount of water, like just a 1/2tsp to start. Whisk until it re-emulsifies, and add extra water in 1/2tsp increments if needed. There should really just barely be some swirls of the sauce on the bottom of the pot, so this is where that flat whisk really comes in handy. Once the emulsion looks good (should really only take 5-10 seconds of whisking at this point) start adding back your broken sauce maybe a tbsp at a time (still off the heat). Once you have a stable emulsion again, add back the rest of the sauce and return to the heat to warm it back up.
Sometimes I teach friends how to make this sauce with your method, and I’ll intentionally break it as a demonstration just to show them they don’t need to fear this sauce. Who knows? Maybe I should make this video? 😂😂😂
Thank you again Helen for your awesome channel. I hope you know how much you are a part of the confidence that I have found the last year and a half.
And here I thought I'd be among the very first to watch this. Seems a lot of people like you. :-D
Pre poach the eggs the day before and just warm them up before assembly. Pre make the hollandaise and keep in a thermos OR make the hollandaise just before assembly. Get your appointed kitchen slave involved in toasting the bread and then helping to assemble as much as possible and keep warm in a very low to barely warm oven. When the hollandaise is ready and eggs are warmed, assemble with kitchen slave and serve. I have prepared eggs benedict this way for breakfast for 20+ ski chalet friends before going out to ski in the morning.
2 words... Food Scientist. :) Don't mess with Helen!!!!
8:54 Helen 👏🏼 told 👏🏼 us 👏🏼 😂 love it! Shut down the haters before they get the chance to give their useless “feedback”
Since about 1970, I've been making Hollandaise (sometimes with a little variation) using Julia Child's recipe (usually reduced by one third) in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Easy, sure-fire, simpler than this.
Many people like all these variations on Eggs Benedict, but I'll hold my traditional recipe up to ANY of them.
Mine take much longer because making Canadian bacon, and English muffins can't be done overnight. _(at least the bacon can't)_ but when everything is homemade? Including the butter? You just can't beat it.
I never really realised that Hollandaise and Mayonnaise are not that much different.
I once made a Sauce Bearnaise for Lasagne, but it was accidentally ruined by a cooking mate. He should turn up the heat of the meat, but it was the Sauce. 😄
Amazing!
Hello Helen I love your videos.
I have tried to buy the Chinese colander but it will cost about $50 to post to the UK.
just use a regular colander. also, I am sure they have them in them UK, but they might call them something else
Hi, Helen
beautiful mate, this is not a bearnaise! we all know, rite peeps? there is no Tarragon, no Wine , no Chervil, maybe the OTHER ingredients you could add to a Hollandaise?? But this sounds like a tasty Hollandaise to me, i will try
Love your videos!!
If I have a sous vide, at what tempreture can I keep the Hollandaise sauce and for how long?
really excellent video! If you cannot do it with her instructios go and eat eggs Benedict in a rest.aurant
Thanks for making my Google talk, lol
I wonder if you can poach eggs in a bamboo colander.