Mushroom Benedict & Tips for Poaching Eggs

Let’s talk about Eggs Benedict. It’s clearly my favorite brunch dish, and there are so many variations of it. Once you learn how you poach an egg, you’re good to go! Hollandaise sauce is wonderful and all, but you can use any sauce you want or even go sauceless. Hmm, so would that make it a naked Benedict?

Using this recipe for inspiration, I made Portobello Benedict for dinner when John was at a work event. Juicy, roasted portobello mushrooms in place of English muffins just like the recipe, but I made a different sauce using mushrooms, soy milk, and nutritional yeast. It’s strange to be putting a vegan sauce on top on eggs, but at least it’s lower calorie than traditional hollandaise. I’ll have to try making a vegan version with tofu instead of eggs. (Unfortunately, there are no good pictures of that dish, only dimly lit evening photos.)

There was enough sauce leftover to make another Benedict dish. Happy weekend brunching! Whole wheat English muffins, wilted spinach, perfectly poached eggs, creamy mushroom sauce, tater tots on the side. I’m quite proud of this dish.

So, what makes the perfect poached egg? It really is a matter of taste. I like it best when the yolk is slightly firm and creamy, but also runny at the same time. The perfect balance. The whites are ever so slightly on the firm side. It’s pretty easy to achieve these results.

White vinegar: Add a capful of vinegar to the water when boiling. This makes sure the egg will set as soon as it touches the water.

Mugs: Crack each egg into a mug. When the water reaches a gentle boil, place the mug into the water, then gently tip the egg out of the mug.

Timing: 4 minutes to reach that balance of runny and creamy. Sometimes they sit in the pot for an extra 30 seconds or so, if I’m a little slow at removing the eggs with a slotted spoon. At 5 minutes, the yolk will be all creamy.

Obviously, there are many variables that will affect the outcome. This method has served me very well when cooking 2 large eggs in a medium saucepan. You’ll have to experiment to see what works best for you. I plan to try the vortex method soon. That’s where you whisk the water to create a tornado to hold egg in the center. It’s supposed to help wrap the egg into a nice, tidy shape.

One more photo with some beautiful yolk action…

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