Southern Eggs Benedict
This Southern Eggs Benedict is has a southern BBQ twist on the delicious classic, with shredded BBQ chicken, homemade Hollandaise, and a poached egg.
There’s a killer breakfast place here in San Antonio, Magnolia Pancake Haus. And you know that fine-dining lover of a boyfriend I mention in the cold oil spherification post? Well if there’s one thing he loves more than fine-dining, it’s Denny’s. And if there’s one thing he loves more than Denny’s, it’s the Southern Eggs Benedict at Magnolia Pancake Haus. It’s a spin on the classic Eggs Benedict, but with BBQ pulled pork and a sprinkle of magic. Sometimes I wonder if maybe he’s just flying across the ocean to get himself some Magnolia’s (joke…sort of).
So since he’ll be visiting in two weeks (!!!!!!), I figured I’d better learn to make something like the work of art that Magnolia’s cooks up. But just a touch healthier, because I just can’t help it. This Southern Eggs Benedict swaps the pork for chicken, and the buttery biscuit for a whole wheat English muffin.
Ingredients in this eggs benedict variation
There are a few key components in this Southern Eggs Benedict, and when they come together it’s just like, BOOM flavor explosion.
- Hollandaise Sauce: I was a lot more nervous about making this than was warranted. There’s all sorts of fuss online about getting a double boiler and taking all these fancy, elaborate steps to make Hollandaise sauce. But Julia Child, as always, simplifies it beautifully, so I adapted a recipe from her.
- Poached Egg: Again, easier than I thought. I’d tried this many times before, but never actually did it right. The key to poached egg perfection? Adding white vinegar to the simmering water, and sloooowly lower the eggs in.
- Shredded BBQ Chicken: Did you know you can boil chicken? I didn’t, but I do now! Potentially life changing. I still wanted a bit of grilled flavor, so I browned the chicken in a large stock pot, then added water and boiled for about 20 minutes. Pull apart with a fork, add BBQ sauce, done.
Southern Eggs Benedict
INGREDIENTS
BBQ Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3 Tbsp BBQ sauce
Hollandaise
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp cold water
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- Pinch of salt
You’ll also need
- 3 whole wheat English muffins
- 6 whole eggs
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- Garnish with cayenne pepper and chives
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place chicken in the bottom of a large, greased stock pot. Brown both sides over high heat. Interior will still be raw. Add water to cover chicken breasts and bring to a boil. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or just until chicken is no longer pink on the inside. Overcooking will make these rubbery! Don’t hesitate to cut one open to check the doneness.
- Allow chicken to cool slightly, then shred using two forks. Mix in BBQ sauce and cover to keep warm (you can also place it in the oven on very low heat to keep warm).
- Get a pot of water simmering now in preparation for the poached eggs.
- In a saute pan, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp water. Place over low/medium heat, and continue whisking. Prevent the eggs from scrambling by removing the pan from the heat every 30 seconds or so, continuously whisking.
- When egg mixture has thickened slightly and is foamy (3 minutes), slowly slowly slowly pour in the butter, whisking quickly to ensure it is completely emulsified into the egg mixture. Continue whisking and moving the pan to and from the heat, until mixture is thick. Add a dash of salt, give it one more stir, then remove from heat, cover, and set aside. The whole process should take about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Pour white vinegar into pot of simmering water. Crack an egg into a shallow bowl, then slowly lower the egg into the simmering water. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until yolk is a little less jiggly. You may need to work in batches here. Place poached eggs on a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Slice English muffin in half and toast.
- To assemble: Half of an English muffin on bottom, BBQ chicken, poached egg, spoonful of Hollandaise. Garnish with cayenne pepper and a few snippets of chives.
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