Eggs Benedict

1. To make the hollandaise sauce, whisk together the egg yolks, mustard and yogurt in a heatproof bowl. Set over a saucepan of barely simmering water and cook for about 12–15 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick—the sauce will become thinner at first, but will then start to thicken. Stir in the chives, and season with pepper. Remove from the heat and keep the sauce warm over the pan of hot water.
2. Half-fill a frying pan with water. Bring to a boil, then add the vinegar. Reduce the heat so the water is just simmering gently, then carefully break the eggs into the water, one at a time. Poach for 3–4 minutes, spooning the hot water over the yolks toward the end of cooking.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Lightly toast the muffin halves for about 1 minute on each side. Place one half on each of 4 warmed plates and top each with a slice of prosciutto, crumpled slightly to fit. Season with pepper.
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the poached eggs from the pan, one at a time. Drain on paper towel and, if desired, trim off any ragged edges of egg white with scissors. Place an egg on each prosciutto-topped muffin half.
5. Spoon the warm hollandaise sauce over the eggs, and sprinkle each serving with a pinch of paprika and the chives. Serve immediately with the remaining toasted muffin halves.

Eggs Benedict variations: Instead of chives, add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon to the hollandaise, and garnish with sprigs of tarragon. • You can also use thin slices of lean cooked ham instead of prosciutto.

preparation time 5 mins
cooking time 20 mins
serves 4

PER SERVING

291 calories
19 g protein
12 g total fat
5 g saturated fat
333 mg cholesterol
25 g total carbohydrate
5 g sugars
3 g fibre
590 mg sodium

Like other animal foods, eggs provide useful amounts of vitamin B12. Free-range eggs tend to contain more than eggs from battery hens. All the fat in eggs is found in the yolk (around 6 g per average-sized egg) and is predominantly unsaturated fat.