Sundays just got more delicious! Our twist on classic eggs Benedict is perfect for brunch at home.
Would brunch be the same without eggs Benedict? I don’t think so, and glancing around at just about any restaurant serving weekend brunch, it seems many of us agree: Most tables seem to have at least one order of sunny Hollandaise-soaked eggs perched on chewy-crunchy English muffins. It’s a dish designed for a relaxed meal that celebrates taking time out. Add sweet, tender crab cakes, and Benedict is about as perfect as you can get!
The best news? You can totally make eggs Benedict at home. And when you combine staying in on a Saturday or Sunday morning with a deliciously decadent breakfast, you’ve got the definition of heaven. And sure, even though a special occasion like a birthday or Mother’s or Father’s Day is a nice excuse for brunch, you absolutely deserve to have Benedict just because.
Our great recipe for Benedict with crab cakes breaks the process of getting this decadent meal on the table into its three components: Crab cakes, hollandaise sauce, and poached eggs. While it’s not exactly quick, with just a little advance planning, you’ll easily be able to get the meal together. And once you taste how delicious it is and see how much it wows guests (if you invite any!), it’ll be totally worth it. Read on for everything you need to know.
Is Crab Cake Benedict Healthy?
While eggs Benedict is an indulgent meal that should be enjoyed in moderation, many of the individual parts of the dish have excellent health benefits. Poached eggs are a nutrient-rich food and a good source of protein and important vitamins and minerals. Crabmeat is also high in protein and a source of omega-3 fatty acids. English muffins supply carbohydrates, and if you use whole-grain ones, you’ll get a bit more fiber along with that. Hollandaise sauce, however, is made up primarily of butter and egg yolks, two ingredients composed almost entirely of fat. It’s the delicious hollandaise that greatly increases the overall calories and saturated fat in the recipe. If you’re very concerned about this, you could definitely omit the hollandaise sauce, although a tastier solution might be enjoying crab cake Benedict only every now and then.
How To Buy Crabmeat For Crab Cakes
The best meat for crab cakes is fresh, good-quality lump crabmeat. Jumbo lump is known for its large pieces that work nicely in cakes and gives them superior sweet flavor. But flakier lump meat that’s not labeled jumbo also works well and is usually considerably less expensive. You can find both at seafood markets or larger supermarkets. If you can’t find fresh, you can use canned in a pinch. Whatever you buy, make sure to pick through the meat with your fingertips to remove any bits of shell or sharp cartilage.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
You can refrigerate leftover crab cakes for up to 4 days; reheating them in the microwave until heated through is ideal. Hollandaise sauce, however, should be used within 1 to 2 days and can be tricky to reheat: Place it over warm simmering water, stirring constantly if possible, or microwave it on low power in 20-second intervals, stirring between. Whichever way you reheat it, make sure you do it only until warm, not hot, to avoid the sauce separating. Poached eggs will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days and are also a little tricky to reheat: The best way is to carefully lower them into a pan of barely simmering water just until warm, 20 to 30 seconds.
Serving Suggestions
Potatoes are always a good side if you want to expand your brunch menu. Try Garlic-Roasted Potatoes or classic Breakfast Potatoes alongside your Benedict. If you want a vegetable added to your meal, you can’t miss with Air-Fryer Asparagus. And if you need a classic brunch cocktail definitely read about How to Make a Perfect Mimosa!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces crabmeat picked through
- 1/4 cup celery finely diced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 3 tablespoons chives finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 large eggs
- 2 English muffins split and toasted
- 2 tablespoons chives chopped for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together crabmeat, celery, cilantro, 1 tablespoon of the chives, the mayonnaise, and panko breadcrumbs until well combined.
- Form the crabcake mixture into 4 equal-sized patties. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day for the mixture to bind.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook crab cakes for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Set aside and keep warm.
- For the hollandaise sauce, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (double boiler) and whisk continuously until mixture thickens.
- Gradually add melted butter to the egg mixture, whisking constantly until the sauce is thick and doubled in volume. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Poach the eggs in a skillet of simmering water for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set but yolks are still runny. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
- Assemble the eggs Benedict by placing a crab cake on each toasted English muffin half. Top with the poached eggs and drizzle with hollandaise sauce. Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped chives.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
Leave a Comment