Smoked Salmon Benedict

I do not know of a more delicious sauce in the world than holland- aise. What can be better than butter, egg yolk, and lemon?!? It is the base of one of my favorite dishes, eggs benedict.

In addition to the eggs, benedicts will have another protein such as ham, bacon, or even crab (which is very popular in San Francisco). The recipe pictured is a smoked salmon (or lox) benedict.

For the sauce: For many, hollandaise is intimidating. In reality, it is quite simple. 3 egg yolks, 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 stick of butter (it makes four servings). You can either use a double boiler or a blender (or immersion blender). I use the latter and find it to be much easier.

The most complicated aspect of preparing the sauce is separating the egg yolks from the whites. This is done by cracking the egg in half and transferring the yolk back and forth to either half while letting the whites drop into another bowl (you can use the extra egg whites for an omelet).

Once the butter is melted transfer it into a mixing bowl and add the yolk and lemon. Blend together and that's it!

For the eggs: Before you start on the hollandaise, begin boiling water in a pot. When the water reaches a rolling boil, turn off the heat. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of white vinegar in the water (this is the key -- it keeps the egg white and yolk together. If you have tried to make poached eggs and found the whites to be runny or completely separate from the yolk, this is why).

Cook the eggs in the water for about 5-7 minutes (it really depends on personal preference). You are looking for the whites to not be translucent and the eggs to be somewhat firm. Be careful - you want a runny yolk and not a fully hardened yolk.

Toast an English muffin. Build two open faced sides by stacking the smoked salmon (or other protein), then one poached egg, and finally topping it with the hollandaise. Sprinkle a little paprika on top to finish the dish (optional).

If you are looking to impress friends or somebody special, try it out - they'll love it!