Crab Eggs Benedict

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Treat mom to an extra-special brunch for Mother’s Day with crab eggs benedict. This recipe is a tasty variation on the classic with fresh crab salad, a poached egg, baby arugula, and topped with Hollandaise sauce.

As the day approaches to celebrate mom, I’m sharing a recipe that is sure to impress and honor the important ladies in your life. How about cooking up a brunch featuring a special dish like crab eggs benedict?

It’s a tasty twist on eggs benedict…fresh, light, and lemony. I’ve piled peppery arugula on top of a toasted whole wheat english muffin, then a scoop of a crab salad, a perfectly poached egg, and a quick hollandaise sauce that is practically foolproof. And of course, a sprinkle of chives.

Sure, it’s a little more entailed than a plate of scrambled eggs and toast, but sometimes we have to go all out to show how much we care. (And a mimosa wouldn’t hurt either.) 

Let’s make Crab Eggs Benedict

1. We start with the fresh crab salad. Simply add all of the ingredients to the bowl.
2. Toss together and reserve in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
3. Next make the hollandaise sauce. Combine the ingredients (expect the water) in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of just simmering water. Whisk until thickened and light.
4. Whisk in the butter, a couple pieces at a time until dissolved and the sauce is smooth. Thin with a little water if the sauce is too thick. Hold the sauce in a warm place (over the pot of water with the heat turned off) until ready to serve.

5. To serve, split and toast the English muffin.
6. Toss the baby arugula with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Divide and place on top of the english muffins.
7. Top with a scoop of crab salad.
8. Next place the poached eggs on top (find poaching instructions in the recipe).
9. Spoon the warm hollandaise sauce over the eggs.
10. Finish with a sprinkle of minced chives.

Tips for success

• Check the crab for tiny bits of shell and be sure to remove it before mixing in the other ingredients.
• Whisk the hollandaise sauce consistently as it cooks to prevent curdling and scrambling.
• Thin the hollandaise sauce if needed, with a teaspoon of water at a time. Whisk and check the consistency and be sure to hold it in a warm place (but not hot).
• Don’t reheat the sauce if it cools (keep it warm) as the sauce will break (separate).
• IF your sauce breaks, you can try to fix it by whisking a fresh yolk with a couple teaspoons of boiling water and slowly adding the sauce to the yolk, whisking constantly. 
• When poaching the eggs, follow the recipe exactly! By cracking the eggs into ramekins before adding to the water you’re ensuring that the yolks are intact and no shells make their way into the dish.
• Three minutes for the eggs means THREE MINUTES. That yolk is runny and wonderful in exactly three. Removing the eggs to a paper towel lined plate allows the water to drain away.
• Don’t skip dressing the arugula lightly with a squeeze of lemon and a little drizzle of olive oil. You want every element to add flavor!

More Tasty Brunch Ideas

• Ham and Cheddar Crustless Quiche
• Homemade Granola
• Bloody Mary with All. The. Fixins.
• Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Ham and Egg Muffin Cups
• Lemony Avocado Toast with Arugula

4.15 from 21 votes

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Crab Eggs Benedict

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Treat mom to an extra-special brunch for Mother’s Day with crab eggs benedict. This recipe is a tasty variation on the classic with fresh crab salad, a poached egg, baby arugula, and topped with Hollandaise sauce.

Course: Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crab eggs benedict, eggs benedict

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 851 kcal

Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For...

Ingredients

Crab Salad

• 1 lb lump crab meat, picked over
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp chives, minced
• 2 Tbsp parsley, minced
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt (I like Greek yogurt)

Easy Hollandaise Sauce

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 8 oz unsalted butter, cold and chopped (2 sticks)
• water, as needed

Poached Eggs

• 8 eggs

Assemble the Crab Egg Benedict

• 4 whole wheat english muffins
• 4 cups fresh baby arugula, dressed with a drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of lemon juice
• crab salad
• poached eggs
• easy hollandaise sauce
• minced chives, for garnish

Instructions

Crab Salad

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well and reserve in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Easy Hollandaise Sauce

1. Heat water in a medium saucepan. Combine all the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl on top of the pot of just simmering water and whisk until the mixture is thick and lightened, about 4 mins.

2. Add the butter to the egg mixture, a couple pieces at a time, whisking constantly. Be sure the previous pieces are dissolved before adding more butter. It should take about 10 mins.

3. Thin with a little water if needed. Whisk in just 1-2 tsps at a time to reach the desired consistency.

Poached Eggs

1. Bring a saucepan of water to simmer. Add a small splash of plain white vinegar to the water.

2. Crack two eggs into two small ramekins. Create a small whirlpool with a spoon in the water and carefully pour one of the eggs into the whirlpool. Create another whirlpool and add the other egg.

3. Cook the eggs at a simmer (not a boil) for exactly three minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining eggs, two at a time.

Assemble the Crab Egg Benedict

1. Split the english muffins and toast.

2. Divide the lightly dressed arugula and top the english muffins. Top with a scoop of crab salad.

3. Top the crab salad with a poached egg, a big spoon of hollandaise sauce, and a sprinkle of minced chives. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

• Check the crab for tiny bits of shell and be sure to remove it before mixing in the other ingredients.
• Whisk the hollandaise sauce consistently as it cooks to prevent curdling and scrambling.
• Thin the hollandaise sauce if needed, with a teaspoon of water at a time. Whisk and check the consistency and be sure to hold it in a warm place (but not hot).
• Don’t reheat the sauce if it cools (keep it warm) as the sauce will break (separate).
• IF your sauce breaks, you can try to fix it by whisking a fresh yolk with a couple teaspoons of boiling water and slowly adding the sauce to the yolk, whisking constantly. 
• When poaching the eggs, follow the recipe exactly! By cracking the eggs into ramekins before adding to the water you’re ensuring that the yolks are intact and no shells make their way into the dish.
• Three minutes for the eggs means THREE MINUTES. That yolk is runny and wonderful in exactly three. Removing the eggs to a paper towel lined plate allows the water to drain away.
• Don’t skip dressing the arugula lightly with a squeeze of lemon and a little drizzle of olive oil. You want every element to add flavor!

Nutrition Facts

Crab Eggs Benedict

Amount Per Serving

Calories 851 Calories from Fat 576

% Daily Value*

Fat 64g98%

Saturated Fat 35g219%

Cholesterol 791mg264%

Sodium 2490mg108%

Potassium 633mg18%

Carbohydrates 27g9%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 42g84%

Vitamin A 3135IU63%

Vitamin C 26.2mg32%

Calcium 354mg35%

Iron 4.8mg27%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Update Notes: This post was originally published in May 2016 but was republished with tips and step by step photos in May 2019.

A little ode to my mom on Mother’s Day…

With Mother’s Day approaching I’ve been thinking of my own mom and the many ways she’s inspired me and helped to shape the person that I am today. Apart from those challenging teenage years when I no doubt drove my mom batty with whiny requests and “life isn’t fair” laments, we have a pretty easygoing relationship. I can’t even recall having a disagreement with her since I’ve come into my adult years. She’s the first person I call her when I have good news to share or a funny story about one of the boys or just to catch up on the week’s events.

But even more importantly, my mom is my role model. She possesses a selflessness in both her career as a nurse and with her family that I’ve truly come to appreciate as I get older. Her very nature is to help others, especially during the most trying and difficult times. She’s also a do-er. She can mow the lawn, paint the living room and I’ve never known her to go to bed with a dish in the sink or the house not just-so. We share a love of movies, books, and pop culture (though her’s skews more Paul Newman to my Paul Rudd).

My mom is also probably my biggest influence in the kitchen, though not in the way that you might expect. While she enjoys a tasty meal as much as me, she does not relish time spent in the kitchen making it. She cooks more out of necessity than enjoyment. But because of this, she was more than happy to let me have the run of the kitchen growing up without standing over my shoulder.

Our deal was that I would cook and she would clean. So I sliced, diced, fried, and baked, making countless mistakes along the way. But there was something about the freedom to make mistakes, learn from them, and then continue to try that made cooking less precious and more fun. I found joy in the kitchen and it became my place of comfort and calm and remains that way today. 

I try to follow that example with my own kids, but I find it unbelievably hard not to bark orders or correct technique. For me it’s far more challenging to back off and let my boys find their way, even though I realize they’ll learn more from doing than being told what to do. It really helps to channel my mom during these times.

I’d like to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, especially to the mom that inspires me everyday. Thanks for always being there to share a laugh, a hug, and a lesson. I love you mom.