Description
Lobster Benedict is amongst the most decadent brunch dishes around. Learn how to make this luxurious twist on a classic eggs Benedict brunch.
Ingredients
For the lobster
- 1 small lobster (about 1 1/4 lbs)
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1lb cold butter, cubed
For the hollandaise sauce
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 lb cold butter, cubed
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
For the eggs
- 4 eggs, poached
To Assemble the Lobster Benedict
- 4 slices of English muffins
- 1 tsp chives, minced
- Paprika, a pinch (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Lobster
In a bowl or pot, mix the vinegar with 10 cups of cold water, bring to a boil, and then remove from heat. Add the lobster and cover for 1 minute. Remove lobster from pot, break off its claws, and then cook the claws for another 3 minutes. Remove meat from the lobster, cut into small bite-sized pieces, cover, and set aside (refrigerate if you will be a while).
How to Prepare the Beurre Monte
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of water, and then incorporate the butter, one cube at a time. Make sure to allow each butter cube to emulsify fully before adding the next one. Keep warm.
- Add the lobster to your newly prepared beurre monte (if it doesn’t submerge completely, use a spoon to baste it as best you can!), keep over a low-medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
Prepare the Hollandaise
In a mixing bowl. thoroughly whisk together the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Place the bowl over a pot of (barely) simmering water to form a double boiler. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens – the whisk should leave behind streaks in the mixture, anything less and your mixture is likely still too runny. Incorporate the butter cubes, whisking in one at a time. Add lemon juice to taste, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside (but keep warm).
Lobster Benedict, Assemble!
Toast and butter the English muffins. Using a slotted spoon, remove the lobster bites from the beurre monte, and arrange it on the four muffin slices. Add a poached egg over each lobster mound, and then a spoonful of hollandaise; finish with a gentle sprinkle of chive. (If you like a little spice, feel free to add a pinch of paprika at this stage as well.) Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Optional: If the lobster is female, you can transfer its egg sacs to a prepared baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 5 minutes – until the eggs are red and firm. Set aside to cool. Grate the cooked roe over the poached eggs using a microplane in the final assembly stage for a little added indulgence.
- If your hollandaise becomes too thick, you can thin it out by whisking in hot water, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Of course, you can use store-bought hollandaise sauce and save yourself the trouble too.
- Lobster can be a bit of a pain to shuck – the first time I tried, I needed to get a patient restaurant server to walk me through it. If you feel lost, know that you’re not alone. And that Google is your friend. (I am too…but I just feel Google can do a better job of helping you in this particular case.)
- In the Preparing the Lobster stage, you require 10 cups of water water. That’s 2.5 litres. (Just in case that makes it quicker for you to measure out!)
- Everyone has their favourite way to poach eggs. I’ve not included instructions on this so that you don’t feel compelled to follow my method. Go with whichever method feels good to you.
- If you don’t want to use an English muffin – a crumpet, a slice of brioche, or a slice of sourdough will work well as a substitute.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
