Corned Beef Is The Key To Making Irish Eggs Benedict

While corned beef may not actually be as Irish as you think, it's become a key ingredient for stateside celebrations for St. Patrick's Day. And a fun and unique way to incorporate the prepared meat is in an Irish eggs Benedict. This savory breakfast is similar to other eggs Benedicts you may have had, but the rich addition of corned beef gives the dish holiday flair, perfect for celebrating the Irish saint's day or any time you have leftover corned beef. Where traditional eggs Benedict uses Canadian bacon or ham, an Irish Benedict swaps out this ingredient with corned beef.

Another way an Irish Benedict differs from the traditional eggs Benedict is the replacement of hollandaise sauce for a gooey, Irish cheddar cheese sauce. If you really want to commit to the theme you can even swap out the toasted English muffin for toasted soda bread, but the heart of an Irish Benedict is in the corned beef. Corned beef is a wonderfully tender, savory, salty bite that blends well with the delicate poached egg. The jammy yolk comes together with the meat for an umami-packed bite. A benefit of corned beef is that it naturally has a somewhat briny taste to it, so you won't miss the hint of acidity you'd typically get from the hollandaise sauce.

You can upgrade this traditional eggs Benedict recipe from Tasting Table by making the above ingredient swaps. Before you get too far into your preparation of an Irish Benedict, consider the condition of the corned beef you're using. How you best prepare the meat will depend on whether it's canned, leftover, or fresh. Fresh corned beef is the easiest, just make sure it's properly heated and you're ready to enjoy it.

If you're using canned corned beef, keep in mind that it can be saltier than its oven-cooked counterpart and may lack the intensity of flavor from the other spices typically present. You can fry up canned corned beef directly in a skillet, just be sure to give it a taste and see if you think it needs more seasoning. If you're using leftover corned beef you'll want to properly reheat it before using. To avoid drying it out, it's recommended to reheat it by placing it in a cooking bag and submerging it in simmering water for up to 10 minutes or cooking in a covered dish in the oven for 10 minutes. If that seems too strenuous, you can slice your corned beef thinly, place it in a microwave-safe dish, cover it with a damp paper towel, and microwave it for a minute at a time until heated.