Eggs benedict with wild garlic hollandaise and mortadella
- Published: 4 Apr 25
- Updated: 25 Apr 25
Level up your eggs benedict. Our eggs mortadella is made with delicious, silky mortadella and festooned with wild garlic hollandaise.
- Twist on eggs benedict: The classic brunch dish is usually made with poached eggs, toasted English muffins, bacon and velvety hollandaise sauce. In our update, fresh wild garlic flavour punches through the rich hollandaise perfectly and intense mortadella adds to the indulgence.
- When to make it: Wild garlic appears as early as late February (depending on the weather) but reaches its peak in early April when it may be flowering.
- Seasonal treat: Dish up eggs mortadella for a Mother’s Day brunch or over the long Easter weekend – it’s the perfect breakfast for a spring weekend.
Discover more wild garlic recipes.
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Serves 4
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Prep time 10 min. Cook time 10 min
Before you start
Follow our guide to foraging for wild garlic.
Ingredients
For the wild garlic hollandaise
- 2 medium egg yolks
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 200g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- Lemon juice to taste
- 5 wild garlic leaves, finely sliced
For the eggs mortadella
- 4 english muffins
- Butter for spreading
- 8 slices mortadella (see Know-how)
- 8 medium eggs
- Dash distilled malt vinegar
Method
- To make the hollandaise, put a large heatproof bowl over a pan of just simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water), then add the egg yolks and vinegar with a pinch of salt. Whisk continuously for around 2 minutes until the yolks become pale and thicker, and the whisks or beaters leave trails in the mixture. At this point, turn the heat off and slowly pour in the melted butter in a thin stream while continuously whisking. Go slowly and make sure the butter is emulsifying as you go. (You can add a tiny dash of cold water to bring it back together if it starts to look shiny and about to separate.) Once the butter has all been added, taste and season the sauce with salt, pepper and lemon juice, then gently stir in the wild garlic, reserving a little for garnish. Keep the sauce warm over a very low heat as cooling and reheating may split it.
- Toast and butter your muffins, then layer up each one with 2 slices of mortadella. Crack the eggs, one by one, into a ramekin or teacup, then gently slip them into a pan of simmering water with the vinegar added (give the water a swirl with a whisk or spoon before adding the egg), working in batches as needed. After 2-3 minutes, when the white of the egg is cooked, retrieve using a slotted spoon, dab on kitchen paper to dry, then use to top each muffin. Season each egg with salt and pepper, then spoon over the garlicky hollandaise and finish with a sprinkle of the reserved wild garlic.
- Recipe from March 2024 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 803kcals
- Fat
- 64g (34g saturated)
- Protein
- 28g
- Carbohydrates
- 28g (3g sugars)
- Fibre
- 2g
- Salt
- 2g
FAQs
When is wild garlic in season?
Wild garlic appears as early as late February (depending on the weather) but reaches its peak in early April when it may be flowering.
What does wild garlic taste like?
The leaves have a fresh garlicky taste that’s punchy when raw but mellows when cooked.
How do I store wild garlic?
The leaves will keep fresh for a few days, but you can blanch them in boiling water for 15 seconds, then cool in cold running water. Drain and squeeze dry in a clean tea towel. Whizz or finely chop the leaves, then pack into ice cube trays. Freeze, transfer to a bag, then use from frozen. The wild garlic will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months before it starts to lose its colour and taste.
Can I leave out the wild garlic?
Yes, leave out the wild garlic for a classic hollandaise taste.
delicious. tips
Mortadella is a rich, lightly spiced pork salumi from Bologna in Italy, often studded with pistachios. For the best quality look for mortadella bologna PGI and get it freshly sliced from a proper Italian deli if you can.
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