Almost Eggs Benedict

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp butter, divided
• 2 English muffins
• 3 large eggs, divided
• 2 thick slices ham
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 lemon
• Pinch cayenne
• Pinch salt and pepper

Directions

1. Crack 1 egg and divide the white from the yolk. Drop the yolk into a small sauce pot with 1 Tbsp water and about 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice; for a less lemon-forward sauce, begin with 1 tsp lemon juice instead. Whisk until the mixture is smooth, before the pot goes anywhere near the heat.
2. Slice 4 Tbsp butter into 1/2 Tbsp pieces and add them to the pot with the yolk mixture. Set the pot over LOW heat, then whisk the whole time as the butter gradually melts into the sauce. Plan on 2-3 minutes for the butter to fully melt.
3. After the butter has melted, keep whisking with some energy. As the sauce warms, the yolk will cook just enough to turn the mixture pale, silky, and thicker; this usually takes 3-5 minutes. It will foam first, then start to tighten into a sauce. As soon as it has thickened, take it off the heat. Taste, then add a pinch of salt and cayenne pepper. If you want a brighter sauce, whisk in more lemon now. Cover the pot and park it close to the burner you will use for the ham and eggs, but do not set it over direct heat, so it stays gently warm.
4. Melt about 1 tsp butter in a large skillet set over medium heat, then tip the pan around so the butter coats the bottom. Split the English muffins and set them in the skillet with the cut sides facing down. Toast until the bottoms are browned, then turn them and cook the second side for a couple more minutes, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the buttery toasted muffins to your plates.
5. Clear any leftover cornmeal from the skillet, then melt another teaspoon of butter in it. Add the ham slices and brown them on both sides, another 3-5 minutes. If the slices are too large for the muffins, cut them in half. Arrange the browned ham on top of the toasted English muffins.
6. Lower the burner to medium-low, melt another teaspoon of butter in the skillet, and fry 2 eggs until the whites have set while the yolks remain runny. The gentler heat gives the whites time to cook through without firming up the yolks too much. Place the eggs over the ham-topped muffins.
7. Spoon the warm hollandaise over the eggs, ham, and English muffins, then enjoy.