Eggs benedict with asparagus and lemon hollandaise sauce

There’s nothing like home-made hollandaise. And it’s easier than you think. Here, on our eggs benedict with asparagus, delicious lemony hollandaise sauce you can make in less than 5 minutes.

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Ingredients

8 poached eggs

12 slices back bacon

4 slices multi-grain bread, sliced 1-inch thick

12 asparagus spears

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and cracked black pepper

Lemon hollandaise sauce

3 egg yolks, room temperature

4 1⁄2 teaspoons water, room temperature

4 1⁄2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1⁄2 cup salted butter, melted and cooled

Sea salt to taste

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Preparation

In a heavy skillet over medium to high heat, cook bacon for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through. Set aside and keep warm. Peel asparagus stems with potato peeler, cut off tough ends (about 1 inch) and discard; cook in salted boiling water until just crisp-tender, approximately 3-4 minutes for thick stalks. Remove from heat, drain, and a toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and keep warm.

To assemble, use a 4 to 6 inch round cookie cutter to cut rounds from centre of bread slices. Butter both sides of each round and grill in skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes each side or until golden. Place one bread round on each serving plate and top with 3 slices bacon, 3 asparagus spears, 2 poached eggs and 1⁄4 cup lemon hollandaise sauce. Serve immediately. Makes 4.

For lemon hollandaise sauce, put whisk yolks in a large heatproof glass bowl until they begin to turn pale, about 1 minute. Whisk in water. Set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water; heat yolk mixture, whisking vigorously, until pale and thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove bowl from pan. Whisk in lemon juice. Whisking constantly, pour in melted butter gradually until thickened. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

To reheat leftover lemon hollandaise sauce, whisk again over bowl of simmering water and warm gradually so mixture does not separate.