Egg & Cress Benedict Recipe

My favourite sandwich is egg and cress, and my favourite breakfast is Eggs Benedict, so it seemed only natural to put them together! This veggie variation to an Eggs Benedict is an amazing brunch treat. It takes the classic egg and cress combination and elevates it using muffins and a hollandaise sauce (which you can either buy or make…). Simple to make, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a Sunday morning!

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Difficulty: Medium

Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • Muffins - 2

  • Eggs - 4

  • Cress - small bunch

  • Parsley or spinach - small bunch

  • Mustard - 1 tsp

Hollandaise (other option is to buy this)

  • Egg yolk - 1

  • White Wine Vinegar - 75g

  • Thyme - 1 tsp

  • Peppercorns - 1 tsp

  • Butter - 100g

Method

Egg & Cress Step One - Vinegar Reduction

If your’re buying the hollandaise then skip to step three. If making it, follow these steps.

Add the thyme, peppercorns, and vinegar to a pan and bring to a gentle boil, until it reduces by half.

In another pan, very gently start to melt the butter.

Whilst the vinegar is reducing, start step two.

 

Egg & Cress Step Two - Yolks

Place the egg yolk in a heatproof bowl and make sure you have a electric whisk handy.

In a pan, bring a little water to the boil. Turn off the heat and place the bowl with the egg yolk in it over the pan to allow the steam to start to heat it. Whisk the egg yolk until it has about doubled in size.

Strain the vinegar mix and whisk it into the egg yolk.

 

Egg & Cress Step THree - Hollandaise

Remove the egg yolk-vinegar mixture from the heat and very gradually whisk in the melted butter.

[If you’re buying the hollandaise then heat it up in a pan and continue the recipe from here]

Stir into the hollandaise mixture the mustard and most of the cress (save a little for decoration).

 

Egg & Cress Step Four - Poached Eggs

Start to toast the muffins.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and then turn off the heat. Place an egg in a coffee / espresso mug and very gently, with the mug at water level, pour the egg into the water. If the pan is big enough to handle 2 eggs, then repeat this process pouring the second egg into the water. Place a lid on the pan and leave the to cook eggs for 2 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and transfer to kitchen paper to dry.

Bring the water back to the boil, and repeat the process to cook the other 2 eggs.

 

Egg & Cress Step Five - Egg & Cress Benedict

Place the chopped parsley / spinach on the cooked muffins, then add the poached eggs, top with the cress hollandaise, and garnish with a little more cress and some salt and pepper.

And that’s it, hope you enjoy!