Mom will feel extra special when you serve the quintessential brunch dish -- eggs Benedict -- to her on Mother's Day.

According to folklore, Mrs. Le Grand Benedict, a regular patron of New York City's renowned Delmonico's restaurant, grew weary of the restaurant's breakfast menu and asked for new items. The result of her request was a richly layered concoction of creamy Hollandaise sauce, savory Canadian bacon, tender poached eggs and toasted English muffins.

While making eggs Benedict can be time-consuming, using freshly baked English muffins will make a wonderful difference. If you prepare them, the poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce in advance, the process becomes far less daunting. When poaching eggs, the chefs at The Culinary Institute of America recommend using the freshest eggs possible. Fresh eggs produce a centered yolk, compact whites and a clean edge when cooked. The poaching liquid should be about three inches deep, at a gentle simmer, and it should contain a small amount of salt and vinegar to firm the egg proteins and prevent the whites from separating. Work in small batches when poaching. Too many eggs will cause the temperature of the water to drop.

The key to making Hollandaise sauce is controlled heat. By using a double boiler with water that maintains a slow, even simmer throughout the cooking process, you can avoid making scrambled eggs. Nevertheless, if the egg yolks start to coagulate around the sides and bottom of the bowl while cooking, remove the bowl from the heat. Place the bowl on a cool surface and whisk until the mixture has cooled slightly, then continue cooking over the simmering water until the yolks are at the proper consistency.

When adding melted butter, do it gradually to keep the sauce from separating. If the sauce should separate, add a small amount of cool water and whisk until smooth.

"When making the sauce, I like to use melted whole butter because it adds more flavor," CIA Chef Scott Swartz says.

Eggs Benedict

Makes eight servings

16 slices Canadian bacon

16 poached eggs (see recipe, C2)

8 English muffins (see recipe, C2), split, toasted and buttered

2 cups Hollandaise sauce (see recipe, C2)

Heat a saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the Canadian bacon, and saute on both sides until heated through, about one to two minutes on each side.

If eggs have been poached in advance, reheat them in simmering water until warmed through and blot on toweling. Top each English muffin half with a slice of Canadian bacon and a poached egg. Spoon warm Hollandaise over each egg and serve.

English muffins

Makes 12 servings

1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cup water, warmed to 110 degrees

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup cornmeal, or as needed

Oil or solid vegetable shortening, as needed

Place the yeast and warm water in the bowl of a mixer, and stir to completely dissolve. Let the yeast proof until foamy, about five minutes. Add the flour, butter, sugar and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix ingredients together on low speed using the dough hook until all ingredients are blended, about two minutes.

Increase the speed to medium-high, and mix until the dough is smooth, another five minutes.

Shape the dough into a ball, and place it into a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about two hours. Fold the dough gently over on itself in three or four places, and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into rounds, and place on sheet pans that have been heavily dusted with cornmeal. Turn each muffin over to coat both sides with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until slightly risen, about 30 minutes.

Preheat a griddle over medium heat, and brush lightly with oil or shortening. Cook the English muffins until lightly brown on the bottom, about five minutes. Turn the muffins over, and cook until golden brown, another five minutes.

Split the English muffins by pulling them apart with a table fork. Toast them just before serving. Serve very hot.

Poached eggs

Makes eight servings

3 quarts water, or as needed

2 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

16 large eggs

Combine the water, salt and vinegar in a deep pan, and bring to a gentle simmer.

Break each egg into a clean cup, and carefully slide each egg into the poaching water. Cook until the whites are set and opaque, about three minutes.

Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon, and blot them on absorbent toweling. Serve immediately, or store chilled eggs in the refrigerator until needed.

Hollandaise sauce

Makes 2 cups

1/2 teaspoon cracked peppercorns

1/4 cup white wine or cider vinegar

1/4 cup water, or as needed

4 large fresh egg yolks

1-1/2 cups melted whole butter, unsalted

2 teaspoons lemon juice, or as needed

2 teaspoons salt, or as needed

Pinch ground white pepper

Pinch cayenne (optional)

Combine the peppercorns and vinegar in a small pan, and reduce over medium heat until nearly dry, about five minutes. Add the water to the vinegar reduction. Strain this liquid into a stainless steel bowl.

Add the egg yolks to the vinegar reduction, and set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook the egg yolk-vinegar mixture until the yolks triple in volume and fall in ribbons from the whisk. Remove the bowl from the simmering water, and place it on a clean kitchen towel to keep the bowl from slipping.

Gradually ladle the warm butter into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. If the sauce becomes too thick and the butter is not blending in easily, add a little water to thin the egg mixture enough to whisk in the remaining butter. Season the Hollandaise with lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne, if desired. Serve immediately, or keep the sauce warm in a bowl over simmering water.

These recipes, along with more than 175 others, are explained and illustrated in "The Culinary Institute of America's Breakfasts and Brunches" cookbook (Lebhar-Freidman, 2005, $35). It is available at bookstores nationwide or online at ciaprochef.com/fbi/books/Breakfasts&Brunches.html.

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