Secrets of the Best Chefs

How many eggs can you get into one dish? This is the culinary

challenge Noren and Arnold set out for themselves as they created

this dish*, which would work well for breakfast or as an appetizer

for a dinner party. Their technique for making hollandaise—which

they learned from food-science legend Harold McGee—is worth

memorizing. It’s faster, and the results are just as good as, if not

better than, hollandaise made using the more traditional method.

FOR THE HOLLANDAISE

7 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 egg yolks, cold

Kosher salt

Juice of ½ lemon, plus more to taste

Cayenne pepper

FOR THE REST OF DISH

8 eggs

½ cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

A pinch of kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 thick slices of brioche or challah bread, 2-inch rounds cut

out of each slice

A splash of white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon minced chives