Mother’s Day brunch is a perfect way to get family and friends to celebrate the day at a special meal. On its own, the combination of hollandaise sauce and a slightly runny poached egg make the eggs Benedict more decedent than other breakfast dishes. However, for occasions when you really want to go over-the-top, why not swap out the Canadian bacon for a crab cake? This year, show Mom how much she means to you by making her Crab Cake Benedict for mothers day brunch.

Mothers Day Brunch: Crab Cake Benedict 

Crab Cakes Benedict recipe

Image via: Olivia Rae via Everyday Musings – Flickr

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For Crab Cakes:

1 pound crab meat

1 egg

½ small onion

3 stalks celery

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon seafood seasoning

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

10-15 saltine crackers

For Hollandaise Sauce:

4 egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 stick butter, melted

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Why not make mini personalized Benedict’s for mom?

Image via: Sea Pak seafood

For Benedict:

4 English muffins, halved

8 eggs

2 tablespoons white vinegar

Fresh parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Start by preparing the ingredients for the crab cakes. Pick through the crab to ensure the meat is free of cartilage and shells. Finely dice the celery and onion. Crush the saltine crackers into crumbs and set them aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the crab, egg, celery, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and seafood seasoning until cohesive.
3. Shape the crab mixture into 8 equal-sized crab cakes. Then, roll the crab mixture in the cracker crumbs until the outside is completely covered. (Note: You can do this the night before, cover, and refrigerate to make things move more quickly in the morning.)
4. When you’re ready to cook the Benedict’s, start by making the hollandaise. Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume.
5. Place the bowl over a double-boiler, or saucepan containing barely simmering water, and continuing to whisk rapidly. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume.
6. Remove the sauce from the heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs Benedict.
7. Bring the water up to a slow boil and add in the white vinegar. Keep this going while you cook the crab cakes.
8. Heat a few tablespoons of oil over medium in a skillet. Cook the crab cakes until they are lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. When done, allow them to drain on a paper towel and use the skillet to lightly toast the English muffin halves.
9. Meanwhile gently crack 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs.
10. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain.
11. Assemble the Benedict’s by putting a crab cake on each English half. Then, top them all with a poached egg and a generous portion of hollandaise sauce.
12. Serve warm, garnished with chopped parsley.

While this dish does have a few steps, with the proper time management it’s actually surprisingly simple. Make sure Mom knows how thankful you for all she does by preparing this show-stopping dish for mothers day brunch. In fact, don’t hesitate to revisit the recipe any time you need to impress someone special.

For more brunch ideas on Stagetecture, click here.