How long does it take to make Eggs Benedict?

Keep the sauce warm, about 50°C (120°F), up to two hours.

20 minTotal

8 minActive time

12 minSetting

#	What to do	How long
1	Melt the butter and keep it warm	—
2	Heat water in a pot and set a heatproof bowl over it so the water doesn't touch it	5 min
3	In the bowl, whisk the yolks with the lemon juice over low heat 3–4 minutes	4 min
4	Add the melted butter one tablespoon at a time, waiting for each to be absorbed before adding the next, while whisking constantly	1 min
5	Season with salt and black pepper and serve immediately	1 min
6	Bring a deep pot with water, 7–8 cm deep, to a gentle simmer and add the vinegar	1 min
7	Crack each egg into a small cup, stir the water in a circle and slide in one egg	1 min
8	Cook 3–4 minutes	4 min
9	Toast the bread and put it on plates	3 min
10	Top with a poached egg, spoon over the hollandaise and serve immediately	1 min

until thick
until a smooth, thick sauce
until the white is set and the egg is springy to the touch, and lift out with a slotted spoon

The water bath gives gentle heat: over direct heat the yolks set into scrambled eggs. If the sauce starts to curdle, take it off the heat and add a tablespoon of cold water.
The vinegar sets the white quickly, and the whirlpool wraps it around the yolk: the egg stays round instead of spreading through the water.
Make the hollandaise first and keep it over a warm water bath: the eggs are ready in three minutes, and everything has to reach the plate together.

The thin stream is everything: fat that goes in too fast can't bind, and the sauce breaks. For mayonnaise and hollandaise, if this happens, start with a fresh yolk and slowly add the broken sauce to it; if the sauce is too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of water.

Hollandaise: 3 egg yolks with a teaspoon or two of water, about 170 g melted butter in a thin stream, 2 teaspoons lemon and a teaspoon of Dijon.
On toasted challah or brioche, layer smoked salmon, a poached egg and sauce.