Its Sunday and youre out with your friends for your weekly brunch. Theres nothing better than a mimosa or a steaming latte and a plate of eggs Benedict. Its easy to see why this is one of the most beloved breakfast and brunch dishes.
Two poached eggs sit atop an open-faced English muffin, topped with Canadian bacon and slathered with hollandaise sauce to create a dish thats comforting, savory, and elegant at the same time. The dish is so beloved, there are countless variations for vegans, pescetarians, and just about any other lover of breakfast. Many chefs even create their own versions, using variations like Taylor ham, smoked salmon, spinach, asparagus, turkey, or any number of other ingredients to personalize this classic dish.
Though many people agree on their love for eggs Benedict, not many actually know the origins of the name. Who, on earth, was this delightful dish named after? Who is (or was) Benedict?
The most important thing to know about eggs Benedict is that they have nothing to do with the famed traitor Benedict Arnold.
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Another version of Eggs Benedict origin published in a column in The New York Times magazine in September 1967, a man named Craig Claiborne wrote about a letter he received from Edward P. Montgomery, an American living in France. In the letter Montgomery supposedly related that Eggs Benedict was created by Commodore E.C. Benedict, a banker and yachtsman, who died in 1920. Montgomery included a recipe for the breakfast dish, stating that he received it from his mother, who had received it from her brother, who was a friend of the Commodore.
Eggs Benedict is a breakfast and brunch classic whose origins are hotly debated in some epicurean circles. There are several credible stories about how Eggs Benedict origins, and published references to this dish dating back over 100 years. Back in 1942, a retired New York stockbroker named Lemuel Benedict gave an interview to The New Yorker magazine in which he claimed he walked into the Waldorf Hotel 48 years earlier in 1894 looking for a cure for his morning hangover and reportedly ordered “buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon and a hooker of hollandaise.” According to this version of the story, the maître d’hôtel Oscar Tschirky was so impressed with the dish that he put it on the breakfast and luncheon menus, but substituted ham and a toasted English muffin for the bacon and toast.
Regardless of its true origins, Eggs Benedict continues to inspire new breakfast creations even today. In 2005, food historian Mary Gunderson created Eggs Benedict XVI in honor of Pope Benedict XVI, who was born in Germany. This variation uses traditional German ingredients with the English muffin replaced by rye bread, and bacon is replaced with either sausage or sauerbraten.
Yet another version that was put forth in November of that same year (1967) by Mabel C. Butler of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts refutes Claiborne’s version in a letter printed in The New York Times Magazine, and gives credit to Delmonico’s, another famous New York institution, for the delicious recipe. Butler claimed that the “true story, well known to the relations of Mrs. LeGrand Benedict”, went like this:
“Mr. and Mrs. Benedict, when they lived in New York around the turn of the century, dined every Saturday at Delmonico’s. One day Mrs. Benedict said to the maitre d’hotel, “Haven’t you anything new or different to suggest?” On his reply that he would like to hear something from her, she suggested poached eggs on toasted English muffins with a thin slice of ham, hollandaise sauce and a truffle on top.” [4]
Though one might guess that the dish was named for Benedict Arnold, the most famous traitor of the American Revolution, it was not. Nor was it named after Pope Benedict XIII, the leader of the Catholic Church from 1724 to 1730 (or any of the 15 other popes who took the name Benedict). The origins of the dish eggs Benedict actually start in New York City in the late 1800s. At that time, the citys elite enjoyed dining out with a new late morning meal — brunch was starting to become all the rage.
Though many people agree on their love for eggs Benedict, not many actually know the origins of the name. Who, on earth, was this delightful dish named after? Who is (or was) Benedict?
The name of eggs Benedict has at least two possible origin stories, according to Atlas Obscura. Famous New York City steakhouse Delmonicos is one possible location. In the late 1800s, Mr. and Mrs. LeGrand Benedict, regular patrons of the restaurant, asked for a special order one morning that were basically what we know as an eggs Benedict. The item proved to be so delicious, it became a popular “off-the-menu” item.
Its Sunday and youre out with your friends for your weekly brunch. Theres nothing better than a mimosa or a steaming latte and a plate of eggs Benedict. Its easy to see why this is one of the most beloved breakfast and brunch dishes.
Two poached eggs sit atop an open-faced English muffin, topped with Canadian bacon and slathered with hollandaise sauce to create a dish thats comforting, savory, and elegant at the same time. The dish is so beloved, there are countless variations for vegans, pescetarians, and just about any other lover of breakfast. Many chefs even create their own versions, using variations like Taylor ham, smoked salmon, spinach, asparagus, turkey, or any number of other ingredients to personalize this classic dish.
3 MINUTE HOLLANDAISE Eggs Benedict – Chef Jean-Pierre
FAQ
What is eggs Benedict named after?
Are eggs Benedict related to Benedict Arnold?
What is the origin of eggs Benedict Florentine?
What is so special about eggs Benedict?
How did Benedict Arnold get its name?
The dish gets its name from a family named Benedict. The first Benedict to come to your mind (other than Cumberbatch, who obviously had nothing to do with inventing eggs Benedict), is likely Benedict Arnold.
Who created Eggs Benedict?
The true history of the eggs Benedict is as murky as the identity of the human who created the eggs Benedict in the first place. According to Delmonico’s legend, eggs Benedict was created for and named after restaurant regulars Mr. and Mrs. LeGrand Benedict in the 1860s.
Why was Eggs Benedict named after Mr & Mrs Legrand Benedict?
According to Delmonico’s legend, eggs Benedict was created for and named after restaurant regulars Mr. and Mrs. LeGrand Benedict in the 1860s. “What I know is simply that Mr. and Mrs. LeGrand Benedict came all the time,” chef Olivia said.
Did Legrand Benedict make eggs Benedict?
One theory, according to Brittanica, centers on the Gilded Age New York City socialite, LeGrand Benedict. Legend has it that Benedict, a frequent guest at Delmonico’s Restaurant, asked the chef to create a special dish for them. The result was eggs Benedict. The New York Times dug even deeper.