Eggs Halifax is said to be the trend that caught the internet by storm. If you like a good hearty brunch, then you’re probably going to like Eggs Halifax.
What is Eggs Halifax?
Eggs Halifax is similar to Eggs Benedict, except it calls for smoked salmon in place of the Canadian bacon. Eggs Halifax consists of a toasted English muffin cut in half and toasted.
The English muffin is topped with smoked salmon, poached egg, and Hollandaise sauce. It is served warm in an open-faced style sandwich and is eaten with a fork. Eggs Halifax is not your typical breakfast egg wrap.
How to poach an egg:
A poached egg is an egg that has been cracked and boiled just enough so that the egg white is firm enough to hold the inside of the ooey-gooey yolk in place.
The inside of the egg should remain liquid in form. Fresh organic eggs work well for poaching.
1. To poach an egg, bring a large pot of water to boil. After the water reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low or remove the pan from the heat.
2. Crack the egg into bowl or a fine mesh sieve and remove the liquidy whites, keeping only the firm egg white and yolk in place.
3. Transfer the egg to a small bowl, and add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to the water. And stir to create a gentle vortex.
4. Pour the egg into the center of the vortex and set a timer for 3 minutes.
5. Once the egg is done, use a slotted spoon or finely mesh sieve to remove the egg from the water. Dab with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
Serve immediately.
How to make Hollandaise sauce:
To make homemade Hollandaise sauce, you’ll need 3 egg yolks, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, pinch cayenne pepper, ½ cup butter, melted.
You’ll begin by melting the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove. Our preferred method is on the stove. If melting butter in the microwave, cover the bowl with a paper towel to keep it from splattering.
While the butter is melting, add the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper to a blender and blend for about 5 seconds until the ingredients are mixed.
Add the hot butter to the ingredients in the blender and blend until fully emulsified. Serve warm.
How to make Hollandaise sauce in advance:
To make Hollandaise sauce in advance, follow the recipe instructions above and in the recipe card.
Store it covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Heat it over low heat in a saucepan on the stovetop, stirring regularly until heated through. Serve warm.
The Legend of Eggs Halifax
You might be wondering what in the world is Eggs Halifax? Is there really such a thing? You’ve probably heard of Eggs Benedict, but how did Eggs Halifax evolve? We went on to do some research to find the answer. Here’s what we found.
It’s thought that the term “Eggs Halifax” was created about 2017 by a restaurant in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada called Elle’s Bistro. The dish is in essence Eggs Benedict, but with smoked salmon instead of the Canadian bacon.
Ingredients Needed for Eggs Halifax
To make this recipe for Eggs Halifax, you’ll need the following ingredients.
eggs
smoked salmon
English muffin
lemon juice
Dijon mustard
salt
cayenne pepper
butter
Recommended Equipment
We recommend the following equipment for achieving the best results in making this recipe.
small fine meshed sieve
toaster
small saucepan
medium saucepan
blender
What’s in a name?
That which we (don’t) call “Eggs Halifax” by any other name would taste as sweet. When we started researching Eggs Halifax, we discovered that it goes by many other names on restaurant menus and around the internet. Here are some of our findings.
Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
Spread optional cream cheese on the English muffin after it’s been toasted. Then assemble according to our recipe instructions below.
Garnish with finely sliced red onions and peppercorns if desired. The cream cheese is thought to give the perfect balance of flavors.
Eggs Atlantic
Eggs Atlantic also refers to the same ingredients and therefore the same dish as Eggs Halifax. It uses Atlantic salmon, so is sometimes referred to as Eggs Atlantic. There are many countries on the Atlantic Ocean known for salmon.
Eggs Royale
You might be wondering, What is Eggs Royale? Eggs Royale is another popular name for the dish. Eggs Royale is also Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict.
Eggs Pacifico
Eggs Pacifico likely incorporates its location and the fact of being near or connected to the Pacific Ocean.
Eggs Montreal
Eggs Montreal attributes its name to the location and gives honor to a cultural region of Canada where one would likely give recognition for an origination.
Eggs Victoria
Victoria is another location in Canada and gives cultural recognition as well as location for the Eggs Halifax dish.
Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict is very similar to Eggs Halifax except Canadian bacon is used instead of smoked salmon. It is another hearty brunch made with poached eggs and homemade Hollandaise sauce.
Eggs Norwegian (or Norvégienne or Copenhagen), Eggs Hemingway, and Eggs Benjamin are other references to the Eggs Halifax ingredients and dish. They are other names for the beloved dish that has become so popular in the last few years.
How to make Eggs Benedict:
To make Eggs Benedict, follow the instructions in our recipe card below, except use Canadian bacon in place of the smoked salmon. Serve warm and enjoy.
What’s the difference between Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine, and Eggs Royale?
Any of these three dishes makes a perfect Sunday brunch. Now let’s take a look at each one.
Eggs Benedict is prepared by placing each of 2 poached eggs on a half of a toasted English muffin, topping it with ham and Hollandaise sauce.
Eggs Florentine is prepared the same way, with each of 2 poached eggs on the sliced English muffin, but it includes steamed spinach instead of the ham.
Eggs Royale is the same as Eggs Benedict only the ham is replaced with smoked salmon.
Tips for Making This Delicious Brunch
There are two main keys to making this delicious brunch. The first is perfecting the poached egg. If you’ve mastered the poached egg, then you’re well on your way to a wonderful Eggs Halifax.
The second tip involves timing each of the pieces up so that they’ll all be nice and hot at the same time for the assembly of the Eggs Halifax.
It can be tricky to time everything up at the same time, but it is rewarding when it’s achieved.
Ingredients
2 poached eggs
2 slices of smoked salmon
1 English muffin, sliced and toasted
¼ cup Hollandaise sauce
Hollandaise Sauce
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne pepper
½ cup butter, melted
Directions
Hollandaise Sauce:
1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. In a blender, add the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, blend on high until well combined.
3. Add the hot melted butter to the mixture in the blender and blend until emulsified.
4. Pour the Hollandaise sauce into a small bowl and cover to keep warm.
Eggs Halifax Assembly:
1. Poach two eggs in boiling water.
2. Cut English muffin in half and toast to desired doneness.
3. Assemble Eggs Halifax by placing 2 halves of the English muffin face up on a plate.
4. Add a slice of smoked salmon to each half.
5. Place poached eggs on top of smoked salmon.
6. Carefully top with homemade warm Hollandaise sauce.
7. Serve warm and enjoy.
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Best Eggs Halifax
Equipment
- small fine meshed sieve
- toaster
- small saucepan
- medium saucepan
- blender
Ingredients
- 2 poached eggs
- 2 slices of smoked salmon
- 1 English muffin sliced and toasted
- ¼ cup Hollandaise sauce
Hollandaise Sauce
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- ½ cup butter melted
Instructions
Hollandaise Sauce:
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
- In a blender, add the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, blend on high until well combined.
- Add the hot melted butter to the mixture in the blender and blend until emulsified.
- Pour the Hollandaise sauce into a small bowl and cover to keep warm.
Eggs Halifax Assembly:
- Poach two eggs in boiling water.
- Cut English muffin in half and toast to desired doneness.
- Assemble Eggs Halifax by placing 2 halves of the English muffin face up on a plate.
- Add a slice of smoked salmon to each half.
- Place poached eggs on top of smoked salmon.
- Carefully top with homemade warm Hollandaise sauce.
- Serve warm and enjoy.
Consider Trying These Classic Breakfast Recipes:
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Awesome article.