Lobster Benedict with Chipotle Hollandaise Sauce

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• The origin of Eggs Benedict
• Lobster Benedict with a Mexican twist
• A luxury twist on a brunch classic
• Cooked defrosted lobster meat is perfect for Lobster Benedict
• How to make warm hollandaise sauce
• No lobster benedict without runny poached eggs
• How to build and serve lobster benedict
• More brunch recipes
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• Lobster Benedict recipe

Indulge in a delicious Lobster Benedict with poached eggs and homemade chipotle hollandaise sauce, perfect for a lazy and impressive brunch with friends and family.

An adventure in benediction, this is an innovation on a classic eggs benedict, prepared with luxury lobster topping a delicate English muffin with an unctuous soft poached egg smothered in a buttery hollandaise sauce embellished with robust Mexican chipotle chilli and lime.   

Eggs Benedict, with its luscious poached eggs and velvety hollandaise sauce, has become a beloved breakfast and brunch classic. With intriguing origins, it has also evolved over the years.

The origin of Eggs Benedict

Like many culinary delights, the exact origin of Eggs Benedict is often hearsay, with various stories and claims surrounding its creation. The most popular legend suggests that Eggs Benedict was born out of necessity at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City in the late 19th century.

The tale goes that a Wall Street tycoon, Lemuel Benedict, stumbled into the hotel's restaurant one morning in 1894, seeking a hangover cure. In his request, he asked for buttered toast, crisp bacon, poached eggs, and a side of Hollandaise sauce. The restaurant's maître d'hôtel, Oscar Tschirky, was so taken by this unique combination that he put it on the menu and named it Eggs Benedict in honour of Mr. Benedict.

Over time, variations of Eggs Benedict have emerged, incorporating different ingredients to suit various tastes and dietary preferences. For instance, Eggs Florentine substitutes the bacon with sautéed spinach, while Eggs Royale replaces it with smoked salmon. These creative spins on the classic have further contributed to the popularity and versatility of the dish.

While the classic Eggs Benedict remains a favourite, chefs and culinary enthusiasts continue to put their unique twist on the dish. From using alternative proteins like lobster (as with this recipe) or crab to experimenting with different breads or adding unconventional ingredients like avocado or truffle oil, there seems to be no limit to the creative endeavours when it comes to Eggs Benedict.

Lobster Benedict with a Mexican twist

One key element of Eggs Benedict that sets it apart is its signature Hollandaise sauce. This traditional French sauce, made from egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice, is the crowning glory of the dish. Interestingly, Hollandaise sauce wasn't originally a part of the Eggs Benedict recipe. It was added later to elevate the flavours and provide a silky, tangy accompaniment to the poached eggs. Our embellishment to this classic French sauce adds a spicy and smoky note with a robust flavoured chipotle paste. Chipotle is a Mexican smoked jalapeno and its flavour partners exceptionally well with the citrussy butter, and to give this dish another mexican twist, we use lime instead of the traditional lemon juice for another exotic taste. 

A luxury twist on a brunch classic

Eggs Benedict and its countless variations have gradually gained popularity throughout the 20th century, with mentions in cookbooks and appearances on breakfast menus around the world. The dish even made its Hollywood debut, receiving a cameo in the 1934 film "It Happened One Night," where it became associated with luxury and sophistication. And what better way to express luxury than by serving decadent lobster on top of this already high-class dish.

Today, traditional Eggs Benedict, as well as its multitude of variations, can be found in countless cafes, brunch spots, and gourmet restaurants worldwide, adorning menus and enticing food lovers with its harmonious combination of flavours and textures.

The incredible journey of Eggs Benedict from a hangover cure to a beloved breakfast staple to the many variations and innovations is a testament to the power of culinary exploration and fusion. Its irresistible combination of creamy, yolky goodness and rich flavours has enticed the taste buds of people across generations and cultures.

Cooked defrosted lobster meat is perfect for Lobster Benedict

This Lobster Benedict recipe is another string to the ever-increasing bow of the blessed eggs benedict. A little substitution of lobster instead of the traditional bacon or ham just adds an extra luxuriousness to the dish, making this a perfect dish for celebration dinners or anniversaries birthdays or Christmas breakfasts. And, it doesn’t need to break the bank either as cooked frozen lobsters are generally small enough not to be overly expensive whilst containing enough meat for two portions. Simply defrost the lobster overnight in the fridge or place it in a bowl of water which takes far less time. You can prepare the lobster meat in a few ways but if you are sharing one lobster between two then simply remove the claws and head and slice down the middle of the shell to cut the lobster in half. This way you can remove the digestive tract more easily than if you wanted to keep the lobster tails intact. For this Lobster Benedict recipe, the lobster tail meat isn’t on display so chopping the meat into bite-sized pieces is the best preparation anyway. Remove the greenish tomally (liver) and any red roe and discard. To extract the claw meat, break the claws at the joints, crack the shells with a knife and break them apart so that you can remove the meat in as large a piece as possible. Set the meat aside whilst preparing the hollandaise sauce.

How to make warm hollandaise sauce

A classic hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of egg yolks, melted butter and citrus. An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are unable to be blended or mixed together (immiscible), oil and water do not mix, for example, a vinaigrette made with olive oil and a vinegar/ citrus juice (water aspect) can be shaken together to form an emulsion, basically particles and droplets suspended together but slowly the two aspects of the vinaigrette will eventually split apart. With a hollandaise sauce, the lecithin in the egg yolk acts as an emulsifier by reducing the oil-water interface tension and therefore prepared correctly stabilises the sauce so that it stays intact.

To combine the ingredients to form a stable emulsion, the egg needs to be brought to the temperature you want to serve the sauce. You can prepare a cold hollandaise sauce but for eggs benedict, it is better warm. First of all, gently melt the butter in a pan and keep it hot.

Next, heat a pan of water but be careful not to boil it and prepare a bain marie by placing a glass mixing bowl in the pan making sure that the bowl does not touch the bottom, it would be too hot that way and ruin your sauce. A stainless steel bowl can potentially turn the sauce greenish, so avoid that if possible too. Add a tablespoon of water to the bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Place three egg yolks and your flavours, in this case chipotle chilli paste and lime into the bowl and whisk until the mixture becomes pale and thicker as it is aerated. The yolks will be getting warm too by whisking over the bain marie, but make sure that you do not cook the egg on too high a heat so monitor the temperature visually and by touch. If you cook the egg, it will coagulate and ruin your sauce. When your hollandaise sauce splits, it can be one of the most irritating things you experience in the kitchen. For this reason, it can be a little daunting to prepare, however, once you master it, the benefit of having fresh hollandaise sauce when you want it is brilliant.

Once the yolks are pale and thicker in texture and warm, add a slow, steady stream of the melted butter whilst constantly whisking. As the butter is hot, if you were to not pour it in a slow, steady stream, the hot butter would cook the egg and again the sauce would split. The butter cools as it is whisked with the yolks so that it thickens and becomes the stable emulsion we are looking for. Once prepared, keep the sauce in the bain marie or in a warm place such as in a jug in hot water. Leaving the sauce in a hot oven will split it and likewise, if you leave it in the fridge it will set hard. It is possible to freeze hollandaise sauce to use later but it needs to be brought back to temperature in a sealed container in a warm water bath, but it will never be as good as freshly made and you always run the risk of it splitting if you don’t bring it back to temperature correctly. Once you have made your sauce, it is best used within a couple of hours. 

No lobster benedict without runny poached eggs

The last stage of making this lobster eggs benedict with chipotle hollandaise sauce is fairly straightforward. 

Poach the eggs in gently boiling water first by breaking the eggs into little ramekins. There is no need to season the water with salt or vinegar either, simply stir the water to make a little whirlpool, dip the ramekin in the middle and gently tip the egg into the water. The movement of the water will form the eggs into a nice teardrop shape. Soft eggs only need a couple of minutes to softly poach, so once cooked, take them out and keep them in a bowl of warm water. This way you can prepare the rest of your dish, keeping your eggs warm but no longer cooking them.

How to build and serve lobster benedict

Wilt the spinach in a pan and lightly toast half a muffin for each person. The lobster can be added cold, or you can add the bite-sized pieces in with the spinach at the last second to warm through. Then build your benedicts, muffin halves first, spinach, then lobster tail meat, place an egg on top of the lobster - then liberally pour over the chipotle hollandaise sauce. Lastly, present the claw meat which should be nicely as intact as possible on the top and serve straight away.    

When embarking on your eggs benedict adventure, we know that if you love the classic recipe you will want to explore the variations and prepare this luxury lobster eggs benedict with chipotle hollandaise, may your eggs benedict experiences be filled with delight and culinary satisfaction. Bon appétit!

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