Lump Crab Benedict (Benedict de Mer)
Prep Time:
15 Minutes
Cook Time:
15 Minutes
Serves:
4 Servings
Level:
Intermediate
About the Recipe
Eggs Benedict is great. Eggs Benedict with a pile of sweet lump crab under it? That's a brunch you remember. I call this one Benedict de Mer. The trick is keeping the crab simple. Warm it gently in butter with a squeeze of lemon so it stays sweet, and let the hollandaise do the heavy lifting.
Ingredients
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Crab
8 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shell
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of Old Bay
Blender hollandaise
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt and cayenne
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and hot
To assemble
4 English muffins, split and toasted
8 large eggs
1 tbsp white vinegar
Chopped chives and a pinch of Old Bay or paprika, to finish
Preparation
Hollandaise: Add yolks, lemon juice, Dijon, salt and cayenne to a blender or an immersion blender beaker. Blend 5 seconds. With it running, slowly stream in the hot butter until thick and creamy. Keep warm by setting the jar or beaker in a bowl of warm water.
Crab: Melt butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add crab, lemon juice and Old Bay. Fold gently just until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Don't break up the lumps.
Poach the eggs: Bring a wide pot of water to a gentle simmer and add the vinegar. Crack each egg into a small cup, swirl the water, and slide the egg in. Cook 3 to 4 minutes for runny yolks. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel. (Nervous about the swirl? Egg poacher cups work great here.)
Assemble: Top each muffin half with crab, a poached egg and a spoonful of hollandaise. Finish with chives and a pinch of Old Bay.
Tools I Use for This Recipe
Immersion blender: Turelar 1100W 5-in-1 hand blender. The tall beaker it comes with is perfect for streaming in hot butter for a 2-minute hollandaise.
Slotted spoon: OXO Good Grips stainless. A wide, sturdy head lifts poached eggs out and drains them well.
Egg poacher cups: YomiFamily 4-pack silicone cups. A cheap shortcut if swirling the water makes you nervous.
10-inch nonstick skillet: Tramontina Professional. Heats evenly so the crab warms gently in butter without sticking or breaking up the lumps.
Old Bay seasoning: the classic Chesapeake seasoning, on the crab, the garnish and the Bloody Mary rim.
Cocktail glass rimmer: Esatto 3-tier rimmer for an even Old Bay rim on the Bloody Mary.
Drink Pairing
Pair it with: a Bloody Mary
Crab and a Bloody Mary are a Chesapeake classic. Rim the glass with Old Bay and add a squeeze of lemon to tie it back to the crab.
Nick's Notes
Poach eggs up to a day ahead, chill in ice water, then rewarm 30 seconds in simmering water.
Swap English muffins for crab cakes or toasted brioche.
Leftover hollandaise doesn't keep well; make it right before serving.
Preparation
Hollandaise: Add yolks, lemon juice, Dijon, salt and cayenne to a blender or an immersion blender beaker. Blend 5 seconds. With it running, slowly stream in the hot butter until thick and creamy. Keep warm by setting the jar or beaker in a bowl of warm water.
Crab: Melt butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add crab, lemon juice and Old Bay. Fold gently just until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Don't break up the lumps.
Poach the eggs: Bring a wide pot of water to a gentle simmer and add the vinegar. Crack each egg into a small cup, swirl the water, and slide the egg in. Cook 3 to 4 minutes for runny yolks. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel. (Nervous about the swirl? Egg poacher cups work great here.)
Assemble: Top each muffin half with crab, a poached egg and a spoonful of hollandaise. Finish with chives and a pinch of Old Bay.
Tools I Use for This Recipe
Immersion blender: Turelar 1100W 5-in-1 hand blender. The tall beaker it comes with is perfect for streaming in hot butter for a 2-minute hollandaise.
Slotted spoon: OXO Good Grips stainless. A wide, sturdy head lifts poached eggs out and drains them well.
Egg poacher cups: YomiFamily 4-pack silicone cups. A cheap shortcut if swirling the water makes you nervous.
10-inch nonstick skillet: Tramontina Professional. Heats evenly so the crab warms gently in butter without sticking or breaking up the lumps.
Old Bay seasoning: the classic Chesapeake seasoning, on the crab, the garnish and the Bloody Mary rim.
Cocktail glass rimmer: Esatto 3-tier rimmer for an even Old Bay rim on the Bloody Mary.
Drink Pairing
Pair it with: a Bloody Mary
Crab and a Bloody Mary are a Chesapeake classic. Rim the glass with Old Bay and add a squeeze of lemon to tie it back to the crab.
Nick's Notes
Poach eggs up to a day ahead, chill in ice water, then rewarm 30 seconds in simmering water.
Swap English muffins for crab cakes or toasted brioche.
Leftover hollandaise doesn't keep well; make it right before serving.
Preparation
Hollandaise: Add yolks, lemon juice, Dijon, salt and cayenne to a blender or an immersion blender beaker. Blend 5 seconds. With it running, slowly stream in the hot butter until thick and creamy. Keep warm by setting the jar or beaker in a bowl of warm water.
Crab: Melt butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add crab, lemon juice and Old Bay. Fold gently just until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Don't break up the lumps.
Poach the eggs: Bring a wide pot of water to a gentle simmer and add the vinegar. Crack each egg into a small cup, swirl the water, and slide the egg in. Cook 3 to 4 minutes for runny yolks. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel. (Nervous about the swirl? Egg poacher cups work great here.)
Assemble: Top each muffin half with crab, a poached egg and a spoonful of hollandaise. Finish with chives and a pinch of Old Bay.
Tools I Use for This Recipe
Immersion blender: Turelar 1100W 5-in-1 hand blender. The tall beaker it comes with is perfect for streaming in hot butter for a 2-minute hollandaise.
Slotted spoon: OXO Good Grips stainless. A wide, sturdy head lifts poached eggs out and drains them well.
Egg poacher cups: YomiFamily 4-pack silicone cups. A cheap shortcut if swirling the water makes you nervous.
10-inch nonstick skillet: Tramontina Professional. Heats evenly so the crab warms gently in butter without sticking or breaking up the lumps.
Old Bay seasoning: the classic Chesapeake seasoning, on the crab, the garnish and the Bloody Mary rim.
Cocktail glass rimmer: Esatto 3-tier rimmer for an even Old Bay rim on the Bloody Mary.
Drink Pairing
Pair it with: a Bloody Mary
Crab and a Bloody Mary are a Chesapeake classic. Rim the glass with Old Bay and add a squeeze of lemon to tie it back to the crab.
Nick's Notes
Poach eggs up to a day ahead, chill in ice water, then rewarm 30 seconds in simmering water.
Swap English muffins for crab cakes or toasted brioche.
Leftover hollandaise doesn't keep well; make it right before serving.
Preparation
Hollandaise: Add yolks, lemon juice, Dijon, salt and cayenne to a blender or an immersion blender beaker. Blend 5 seconds. With it running, slowly stream in the hot butter until thick and creamy. Keep warm by setting the jar or beaker in a bowl of warm water.
Crab: Melt butter in a small skillet over low heat. Add crab, lemon juice and Old Bay. Fold gently just until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Don't break up the lumps.
Poach the eggs: Bring a wide pot of water to a gentle simmer and add the vinegar. Crack each egg into a small cup, swirl the water, and slide the egg in. Cook 3 to 4 minutes for runny yolks. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel. (Nervous about the swirl? Egg poacher cups work great here.)
Assemble: Top each muffin half with crab, a poached egg and a spoonful of hollandaise. Finish with chives and a pinch of Old Bay.
Tools I Use for This Recipe
Immersion blender: Turelar 1100W 5-in-1 hand blender. The tall beaker it comes with is perfect for streaming in hot butter for a 2-minute hollandaise.
Slotted spoon: OXO Good Grips stainless. A wide, sturdy head lifts poached eggs out and drains them well.
Egg poacher cups: YomiFamily 4-pack silicone cups. A cheap shortcut if swirling the water makes you nervous.
10-inch nonstick skillet: Tramontina Professional. Heats evenly so the crab warms gently in butter without sticking or breaking up the lumps.
Old Bay seasoning: the classic Chesapeake seasoning, on the crab, the garnish and the Bloody Mary rim.
Cocktail glass rimmer: Esatto 3-tier rimmer for an even Old Bay rim on the Bloody Mary.
Drink Pairing
Pair it with: a Bloody Mary
Crab and a Bloody Mary are a Chesapeake classic. Rim the glass with Old Bay and add a squeeze of lemon to tie it back to the crab.
Nick's Notes
Poach eggs up to a day ahead, chill in ice water, then rewarm 30 seconds in simmering water.
Swap English muffins for crab cakes or toasted brioche.
Leftover hollandaise doesn't keep well; make it right before serving.