Gordon Ramsay's Easy Tip For Avoiding Soggy Eggs Benedict

There is no elevated breakfast dish quite like the classic eggs Benedict. It requires a little extra technique, and unfortunately, it's easy to mess up. There are several moving parts to the recipe, but most importantly, those eggs should be poached in water, resulting in a delicate, yolky egg. To avoid the most common mistakes when making eggs Benedict, take a tip from Gordon Ramsay by draining the eggs on a paper towel prior to plating the dish.

If you don't remove the water from the poached eggs, it will seep onto the other ingredients, creating a messy, less-appealing texture. The paper towel absorbs the moisture and prevents the dish from getting too soggy, but you'll need to be careful how you prepare the eggs as well. Poached eggs often require a lot of attention. 

"The secret is not to boil the water rapidly," Ramsay said in a YouTube tutorial on his channel. "The strength of the boil can literally explode your egg." The trick is to lower the eggs into the water gently and pull them out when they float on top. Remove them with a slotted spoon, which helps reduce the water transfer before you place them on the paper towel.

To enhance the texture of your eggs Benedict, make sure those English muffins are nice and toasted. Durable breading will resist sogginess from any water that leaks from the eggs onto the plate, all while creating a texture contrast when you bite into it. The egg and hollandaise are soft, so the ham and English muffin should be on the crispier side to give the meal more balance in its flavor and texture. It's as simple as toasting the English muffins in the toaster, then brushing a little salted butter on them for flavor.

Gordon Ramsay has a few other tips for preparing the perfect eggs Benedict. He notes the importance of whisking the egg yolks constantly while preparing the hollandaise in order to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Plus, for flavor, Ramsay prefers to use crispy Parma ham, a type of prosciutto from Northern Italy, rather than Canadian bacon. The former adds an even saltier flavor with a delicate yet crunchy texture that's perfect for this dish, but it can be on the pricey side compared to Canadian bacon. Whichever protein you choose, you'll be in for a world of flavor by following Chef Ramsay's advice for the best eggs Benedict.