Eggs Benedict has ruled the cafe brunch roost for decades, but, with a quick twist, you can also make Florentine and Royale! Is there a big difference between them? You’ll just have to read on and discover the answer for yourself!
Poached, scrambled, fried, over-easy, and even boiled, eggs have been a breakfast staple since time immemorial. Often served as a ‘side’ or ‘extra’, eggs haven’t always been centre-stage, which is a shame. But in this week’s Cook-Along, we’re putting that to rights.
For this week’s recipes, you won’t need a lot of fancy equipment, but there are a few bits that’ll make the job a little easier, so do check out the recommendations a little further on in this article. Ingredients are also easy to get, so worry not there!
A History of ‘Hollandaise’
Now, what’s the difference between the three egg dishes? Essentially, just the flavours! Eggs Benedict, (or ‘Benny’ to those in the trade) was not named for that famous American traitor, but instead after Mrs. LeGrand Benedict at the Delmonico’s Restaurant in 1860s, and is the slightly more famous of three ‘hollandaise’ topped egg dishes.
In fact, eggs Florentine, the oldest of the three egg dishes, dates back to the Renaissance period. Hollandaise sauce, which is one of the 5 Mother Sauces of French cuisine, was invented in the Middle Ages, and is credited to a period chef named La Varenne.
All three dishes start with the same base; a hot English muffin. Building on top of that is the flavour base, followed by a poached egg (to your desired firmness) and then coated in a thick layer of Hollandaise sauce.
Eggs Benedict, Florentine and Royale Flavours
What are the flavours that make these dishes different to each other? Well, you could say it’s ‘surf’, ‘turf’, and ‘erf’. Here’s a quick breakdown, so next time you’re at a cafe you can order the one you want!
- Benedict: Ham, old school dry-cured ham, smoked or unsmoked, and sliced no thinner than thick cardboard.
- Florentine: Spinach, just wilted so it still looks like spinach. Frozen can also be used at an absolute push, but it’s not the same.
- Royale: Smoked salmon, there’s no beating wild salmon that’s been cured over a period of time. It should be a deep pinky-orange with visible ‘fat’ lines running through it.
Eggs Brunch Equipment
Eggs Benedict Ingredients
Fresh ingredients are:
- Eggs
- English muffins
- Butter
- Ham
- Smoked salmon
- Spinach
Pantry ingredients are:
Recipes for Eggs Benedict, Florentine, or Royale
You will need:
- 2 eggs per person
- 1 English muffin per person
- 1 batch of Hollandaise sauce as per recipe
Your flavour choices are:
- Benedict: Ham, 2 slices per portion.
- Florentine: Spinach, about 1 handful per portion.
- Royale: Smoked salmon, approx. 50g per portion.
Hollandaise Sauce
Equipment
- Jug
- Stick/Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 120 g Butter (½cup) melted
- 60 g Egg yolks (3 large egg yolks)
- 20 ml Lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 5 g Dijon Mustard optional
Instructions
- Melt butter in a jug in the microwave.
- In the meantime, add egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and mustard to a wide mouthed jar.
- Remove butter from microwave and let stand about 30 to 40 seconds.
- Grab the immersion blender and stick it inside the jar.
- Pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream and begin to blend at the same time. While blending, move the immersion blender up and down, slowly, so to combine everything together, and to thicken. This should only take about 30 seconds.
- Remove blender and taste for seasonings and flavor; adjust accordingly.
- If it’s too thick, you can add couple teaspoons of water or lemon juice, and stir with a fork until combined. Sauce will thicken as it stands; stir in more liquid as necessary.
- Use within 1 to 2 hours of making; refrigerate any leftover sauce after 2 hours of cooking.
- HOW TO STORE HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
- * Cover freshly made Hollandaise Sauce with plastic wrap to keep it warm. Use within 1 to 2 hours.
- * Refrigerate any leftover sauce after 2 hours of cooking.
- * Keep covered and in the fridge for 2 days.
Thanks for checking out this week’s blog post on how to make eggs Benedict, Florentine, and Royale! I hope you’ve enjoyed the recipes, and that you’re able to join me, Chef Kit, for the Cook-a-Long on Saturday. If you do, please share a photo of your dish on your social media accounts, and use the hashtag: #LarderPantryandGarden.
Don’t forget, LPaG is on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Patreon!
This post may contain affiliate links