The Biggest Mistake You're Making With Eggs Benedict, According To Valerie Bertinelli - Exclusive
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Valerie Bertinelli has made a name for herself in the food realm by helming her own cooking show on the Food Network for nearly a decade and co-hosting the popular series, "Kids Baking Championship," with Duff Goldman. The down-to-earth star also shares her favorite recipes with fans through multiple cookbooks, including her latest, "Indulge: Delicious and Decadent Dishes to Enjoy and Share." Bertinelli's recipes are relatable and within reach of any home cook, and this includes versions of seemingly-complicated recipes like eggs Benedict.
Bertinelli told Mashed in an exclusive interview that after experiencing the heartbreaking loss of both parents and ex-husband Eddie Van Halen within a few years, creating these recipes helped her heal. "As I was coming out of that and healing myself in '23, I wanted to get back in the kitchen again, because I truly found joy in the kitchen, and I had stopped," she explained. The award-winning actress said that writing the cookbook and including recipes that were tributes to family members was a version of therapy for her. One such dish was inspired by her ex-husband Eddie: his favorite touring treat, eggs Benedict.
Eggs Benedict is one of those meals people love to order when they go out for brunch, but few people attempt to make it at home, because they're worried it's too complicated. Bertinelli revealed that, when it comes to making this early-morning staple, the biggest mistake you can make is thinking that Hollandaise sauce and poached eggs are difficult to make.
Bertinelli assures us eggs Benedict is easier than it looks
While you can prepare different versions of this dish, a typical eggs Benedict consists of buttered English muffins, Canadian bacon, and poached eggs drizzled with Hollandaise sauce. This rich and creamy sauce is traditionally made from egg yolks, lemon juice, melted butter, salt, and pepper. "It just takes a minimal amount of patience," Valerie Bertinelli explained. "It's not that hard."
She also admitted that poaching eggs seemed particularly daunting to her at first, but now she thinks they're simple to whip up. "I have to say, if I'm making it and I make it look easy, it's because it is," the actress noted. "Because I'm not a trained chef. I am someone who has grown up in the kitchen and learned from the women before me, and they made it look just as easy."
If you're still feeling doubtful about trying your hand at the dish, Bertinelli told us there are all sorts of tricks you can use to make it easier. For instance, an eggs benedict hack that will save you time in the kitchen is to use a blender to create the Hollandaise sauce instead of doing it by hand. This way, mixing your ingredients will only take half of the time, leaving you more time to enjoy the delicious breakfast you've just created.
Valerie Bertinelli's new cookbook, "Indulge: Delicious and Decadent Dishes to Enjoy and Share," is available for purchase on Amazon.