Eggs Benedict Recipe and History, HWhats Cooking America (2024)

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What is the history of Eggs Benedict? ›

Another famous New York City location is also credited as being the possible place where Eggs Benedict was first created. Retired Wall Street stock broker Lemuel Benedict told The New Yorker in 1942 that he ordered the first Eggs Benedict in the Waldorf-Astoria in 1894 to help his hangover.

Hollandaise can break, which means the butter and eggs will separate. The secret is all in the butter–make sure the butter is hot, but not too hot, add it slowly, and don't add too much!

Fun fact: a hungover stockbroker by the name of Lemuel Benedict claimed to have invented eggs benny in New York's Waldorf Hotel in 1894 by ordering buttered toast, poached eggs and crisp bacon with “a hooker of hollandaise.”

It originates from the French word poché, which means small pouch or pocket. Poaching is an ancient cooking technique that was used to prepare different delicacies like dumplings and nut custard. In fact, this cooking technique even finds a mention in the first printed cookbook, Le viandier.

Craig Claiborne, in September 1967, wrote a column in The New York Times Magazine about a letter he had received from Edward P. Montgomery, an American living in France. In it, Montgomery related that the dish was created by Commodore E.C. Benedict, a banker and yachtsman, who died in 1920 at the age of 86.

In fact, some give credit for the dish to Pope Benedict XIII, who ruled the Vatican from 1724 to 1730, and was put on a strict eggs and toast diet while there–dressed in a lemon-based sauce, at his request.

The dish is named after a New York City stockbroker named Lemuel Benedict, who, in 1894, ordered "buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon, and a hooker of hollandaise" at the Waldorf Hotel.

Eggs royale is similar to Eggs Benedict or florentine but uses smoked salmon instead of ham or spinach. Using cold butter rather than warm, melted butter means the sauce takes a few extra minutes to come together, but there's far less risk of it splitting – worth the time we think.

It's a classic American breakfast for a reason. You toast an English muffin, top it with a slice of Canadian bacon, then a poached egg, then—and this is the key ingredient—you top it with creamy, decadent, soul-inspiring homemade.

What are 5 interesting facts about eggs? ›

noun. eggs Ben·​e·​dict -ˈbe-nə-ˌdikt. plural in form but singular or plural in construction. : a dish of poached eggs and browned ham or Canadian bacon placed on toasted halves of English muffin and covered with hollandaise.

It was invented at Delmonico's Restaurant

It's said that chef Charles Ranhofer came up with the combination in the 1860s when Mrs. LeGrand Benedict, one of his regular diners, grew tired of the menu and wanted something new. His recipe, which he dubbed Eggs a la Benedict, was published in his cookbook in 1894.

Poaching eggs only takes a couple of minutes. Once the water is boiling, cook the eggs for 2 to 3 minutes. They'll be firm on the outside, runny on the inside, and delicately delicious every time.

noun. eggs Ben·​e·​dict -ˈbe-nə-ˌdikt. plural in form but singular or plural in construction. : a dish of poached eggs and browned ham or Canadian bacon placed on toasted halves of English muffin and covered with hollandaise.

Benedict is a masculine given name of Latin origin, meaning "blessed". Etymologically, it is derived from the Latin words bene ('good') and dicte ('speak'), i.e. "well spoken". The name was borne by Saint Benedict of Nursia (480–547), often called the founder of Western Christian monasticism. Benedict.

During times of plenty when gold made miners rich overnight, they would sometimes indulge in a dish called Hangtown Fry. The strange concoction originated in Hangtown (now known as Placerville), which served as a supply base to California's mining region.

Popular theory places its origin to a town in Normandy, France called "Isigny-Sur-Mer", known for its high-quality butter. According to history, France couldn't produce its own butter during the First World War and imported it from Holland – which led to it being known as Hollandaise.