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English muffins. Their split halves should be toasted to crispness. Tearing the halves apart with a fork or with hands, rather than slicing them, increases their surface area, and therefore also their flavor and absorbancy. Few restaurants bother to do this. English muffins need not be the soft, yeasty Thomas's brand that are the only kind most people have eaten; actually, they should not be, since Thomas's standard muffins are too small and their sandwich-size muffins are too large. Matthew's is a good retail brand of English muffin in the New York City area.

Eggs. Poached till whites are set, though not chewy. A teaspoon of vinegar may be added to help the poaching process, but should not be detectable. The yolk can range from runny to almost set, depending on personal preference. The yolk should be hot during cooking; it is a very special bonus if it's still hot, yet not too thickened, when it reaches your table. Excess white is sometimes trimmed before serving.

Canadian bacon. Standard bacon comes from pork "bellies," the underside of the hog, along the ribs. Canadian bacon comes from the meatier loin, along the backbone. It is trimmed of excess fat and is cured like ham. Often, ordinary ham is substituted in eggs Benedict. Canadian bacon should be freshly grilled, but is usually presliced before cooking, which does not improve flavor or texture. Technically, it is "Canadian-style" bacon if it is not of Canadian origin. Canadians do not eat it more than any other pork-product-loving people, though they may call it back bacon or pea meal bacon.

Hollandaise sauce. A hardly cooked beaten egg yolk, gently thickened with hot drawn butter, plus a squirt of lemon juice. The lemon flavor should be prominent but not overwhelming. Hollandaise should not be too buttery, which overwhelms the flavor of the poached eggs and Canadian bacon beneath it. Low-end eggs Benedict is served with instant hollandaise sauce.

Side dish. Always potatoes, and traditionally home fries, an excellent foil for mopping up stray yolk and sauce.

Beverages. Juice, mimosas, and bloody Marys are popular. Coffee or tea complements or finishes the meal.

In eggs Florentine, the most common variant, spinach is substituted for Canadian bacon. Many restaurants reviewed here offer eggs Florentine as an alternate entrée, for ovo-lacto vegetarians willing to enjoy eggs and butter. A browse of recipes on the Web reveals many eggs Benedict variations, including sausage, fish, shellfish, or poultry replacing the Canadian bacon; salsa, pork gravy, guacamole, chutney, or bernaise or mustard sauces replacing the hollandaise; lime, mustard, or peppers spiking traditional hollandaise; and stuffed bread, cubed bread, and pizza replacing the English muffins. This site's restaurant reviews critique the classic recipe plus variants that include toast and tomato sauce, or green-onion sauce and harissa and lamb hash, or hangar steak or prosciutto. Variants are worthy, especially if you eat eggs Benedict once or twice a week.