Being from the East Coast, I enjoy a good bagel with lox, capers, tomatoes and onions. I also love homemade eggs benedict with farm fresh eggs, salmon and fresh greens with a homemade lemony-dill hollandaise sauce. I decided to put together two of my favorite things and make this eggs benedict on a croissant instead, topped with quick pickled red onions, capers, fresh greens. Easter and Mothers Day is around the corner and I thought that this would make a perfect Easter or Mother’s Day Brunch with family and friends for you to try out.
For me, the key to any delicious eggs benedict is to use quality English muffins, but in this instance I decided to use mini croissants for a flaky, fluffy and airy version with a buttery light flavor that holds up on its own. Once you coat these in all of these insanely tasty ingredients, you basically end up with an eggs benedict so good it is the equivalent of food magic.
Let’s start with the Hollandaise sauce, which can be made in advance and reheated when ready to serve, which helps with prepping if you are serving a larger crowd.
SMOKED SALMON BENEDICT ON CROISSANT with DILL-PAPRIKA-LEMON HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
Ingredients
Hollandaise Sauce
- 4 tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (more for a stronger lemon flavor)
- 2 tbsp room temp water
- 2 tsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- sprinkle of smoked sweet paprika
- pinch of salt, to taste
Quick Pickled Red Onions
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup white vinegar for pickling, enough to cover onions halfway
- 1/2 cup cold water
Poached Eggs
- 2 fresh eggs per person, room temp
- splash of white vinegar
- water, enough to cover about an inch of surface of the pot you are using
Benedict
- 2-4 small croissants, cut in half
- 2-4 slices smoked salmon
- 1 tbsp capers, drained
- dill, for garnish
- mixed greens to top croissants
Instructions
Hollandaise Sauce
- Melt the butter in the microwave.
- In a good quality saucepan, add the yolks, lemon juice and water and whisk quickly and continually over low heat until it’s frothy and doubled in size (this is an arm workout, be prepared). You don’t want too much heat or you’ll have scrambled eggs. If you need to step away for even a second, or if it’s getting to hot, remove from the heat. While continuing to whisk, slowly add the butter in a steady stream. Continue to whisk until thickened, and almost doubled. If your sauce gets too dry and thick, you can add a few tbsp of water or add a bit of lemon to give it more lemony flavor.
- Once the sauce is done, add the chopped dill, salt to taste and paprika which is optional, but I think it adds a good flavor. I like more dill so I added a bit more in mine. Set aside.
Quick Pickled Red Onions
- Mix in a bowl and pickle while you make the rest of the benedict items. Drain when ready to add to the benedict.
Poached Eggs
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil with a splash of vinegar.
- Crack open an egg into a small bowl, and use the bowl to drop the egg into the boiling water. Use a spoon to help hold the yolk in the center of the egg white area. Once the egg whites have cooked but the yolk is still wobbly, remove the poached egg with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Benedict
- Cut and toast the croissants in a toaster oven or toaster to desired color. Set aside until ready to assemble.
- Place the toasted croissant on a plate or board, spread a little bit of sauce, add the fresh mixed greens, salmon, poached egg, sauce, pickled onions and capers. Top with fresh dill.
Enjoy and Bon Appetité!
xoxo,
LENA
Yes, when you are ready to use it, just add a little bit of water to make it more liquid again.
Can I make the sauce couple days in advance ? Just keep it in a glass jar in the refrigerator ?