---
title: "Eggs Benedict and the Science of Hollandaise"
created: 2025-03-28 09:30
author: Amelia Fontaine
keywords: eggs benedict, hollandaise, poaching eggs, brunch, sauce
description: The emulsion science behind hollandaise, why it breaks and how to fix it, perfect poached eggs, and classic eggs Benedict assembly.
---

# Eggs Benedict and the Science of Hollandaise

Hollandaise has a fearsome reputation, and the fear is understandable: it is an emulsified butter sauce that breaks easily, cannot be made far in advance, and requires you to pay attention during service — the moment when you least want another technical demand. The reputation is somewhat deserved.

But understanding *why* hollandaise behaves as it does makes it dramatically more manageable. It is, at its core, chemistry. The chemistry is not complicated once you know it.

## The Emulsion

An emulsion is a stable mixture of two liquids that would normally separate: in hollandaise, fat (butter) and water (lemon juice, the water in egg yolks). These two phases resist mixing because fat molecules are nonpolar and water molecules are polar. Left alone, they separate.

The stabiliser is lecithin, found in egg yolks at high concentrations. Lecithin molecules have a nonpolar end (attracted to fat) and a polar end (attracted to water). They position themselves at the boundary between fat and water droplets, surrounding the fat droplets and preventing them from coalescing.

This works only within a temperature range: warm enough to keep the butter fluid and to partially cook the egg proteins (which helps stabilise the emulsion), but not so hot that the proteins cook fully and coagulate, which causes the sauce to "break" — separate into greasy curds.

The ideal temperature for hollandaise is 60–70°C. Below this range it is too thin; above it breaks.

## The Method

**Ingredients (serves 4):**
- 4 egg yolks
- 250g unsalted butter, clarified (or just very good quality, melted and warm)
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt and white pepper

**Clarifying butter** removes the milk solids and water, leaving pure butterfat. This gives a more stable emulsion and a cleaner flavour, though whole butter (used at room temperature) also works and is easier.

**Method:**
1. In a small saucepan, reduce the white wine vinegar with the water by half. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the reduced liquid until pale and thickened — they should leave a trail (a "ribbon") when the whisk is lifted.
3. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water). Continue whisking while the mixture warms, 3–4 minutes, until it thickens further and holds a ribbon. This is the *sabayon* — the base.
4. Remove from the heat. Begin adding the warm clarified butter in a very thin stream while whisking constantly. The first few tablespoons are critical — add them very slowly, building the emulsion. Once the emulsion is established, you can add the butter more quickly.
5. When all the butter is incorporated, adjust with lemon juice, salt, and white pepper. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon heavily.

**If it breaks:** If you see greasy, curdled separation, it is usually because the temperature was too high or the butter was added too quickly. To rescue: start with a clean bowl and a fresh egg yolk whisked with a tablespoon of warm water. Very slowly whisk the broken sauce into this new base, treating it as the butter in the original recipe.

Keep hollandaise warm by setting the bowl over warm (not hot) water, whisking occasionally. Use within 30–45 minutes.

## Poaching Eggs

Use the freshest eggs possible — older eggs spread more because the white becomes more liquid. Room temperature is preferable to cold from the fridge.

Bring a wide pan of water to a bare simmer. Add a splash of white wine vinegar (it helps the white cohere, though this is debated). Create a gentle swirl in the water with a spoon. Crack the egg into a small cup, lower the cup to the water surface, and slide the egg in gently. The swirl wraps the white around the yolk. Poach for 3 minutes for a runny yolk, 4 minutes for a more set result.

Lift with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper. Trim any ragged white edges with scissors for a clean presentation.

## Assembly

**Eggs Benedict:** Split, toast, and butter English muffins. Top each half with a slice of back bacon (or Canadian bacon) that has been briefly warmed. Set a poached egg on top. Pour hollandaise generously over. Finish with a small amount of cayenne or smoked paprika.

**Eggs Royale:** As above but with smoked salmon instead of bacon.

**Eggs Florentine:** As above but with wilted spinach, squeezed very dry, instead of bacon.

The whole assembly takes about 15 minutes once you have the hollandaise made. The eggs can be poached ahead of time and kept in cold water, then reheated by placing in warm water for 60 seconds.

Eggs Benedict is weekend cooking at its best: technically interesting, visually impressive, and deeply satisfying to eat.
