Found on many breakfast menus in New York, eggs benedict is a great weekend brunch dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 slices cooked ham or 4-8 dry-cured rashers

4 fresh eggs, free-range and organic if possible

4 English muffins or 4 rolls or rounds of toast made from good white bread

For the hollandaise sauce:

2 egg yolks

110-175g butter, cut into cubes

Squeeze of lemon juice

First make the hollandaise sauce. Place the egg yolks in a small saucepan on a very low heat and add 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk in the butter, just two cubes at a time, until all the butter has been added – only add in more butter when the two cubes have been mixed into the sauce. If the pan gets too hot the mixture will scramble, so if the sides feel too hot, take the pan off the heat for a minute. Once all the butter has been added add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. (If you're using normal salted butter, you probably won't need additional salt.) Keep the sauce warm ? in a jug or bowl sitting in hot (but not boiling) water.

If using bacon, heat a very small amount of sunflower oil in a hot frying pan. Cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. Meanwhile poach the eggs by bringing a small saucepan of water to the boil, reduce the heat, swirl the water, crack the egg and slip gently into the whirlpool in the centre. For perfect poached eggs, the water should not boil again but bubble very gently just below boiling point. Continue to cook for three or four minutes until the white is set and the yolk still soft and runny.

Toast the bread or muffin halves. Spread the hot toast or toasted muffins with butter. Top with a slice of ham or two slices of crispy bacon. Gently place the poached egg on top and coat with hollandaise sauce.