Eggs Benedict with Blender Hollandaise

Method

1. For the hollandaise, put the yolks, lemon juice, hot water, salt and cayenne in a blender, using a narrow jar if you have one. Melt the stick of butter in a small pot over medium heat until foaming and very hot, about 2 minutes, and keep it hot.
2. With the blender running on low, drizzle the hot butter through the lid in a thin stream over 30 seconds, until the sauce is thick and pale. Pour into a warm bowl, cover and set the bowl over a pot of hot (not simmering) water; use within 30 minutes and thin with a teaspoon of warm water if it gets too stiff.
3. Bring 3 inches of water with the vinegar to a bare simmer (small bubbles on the bottom, not rolling) in a wide pot. Crack each egg into a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl, let the thin white drain 20 seconds, then slide the egg into a small cup.
4. Poach 4 eggs at a time, sliding them in gently, for 3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft. Lift out with a slotted spoon into a bowl of hot tap water, then poach the second batch.
5. Sear the ham in a dry skillet over medium-high for 1 minute per side until the edges brown. Toast the muffins until golden and butter them.
6. Set 2 muffin halves on each plate, top with ham, then blot the eggs on a towel and set one on each. Spoon on the hollandaise, then add chives and pepper.

Food safety. The hollandaise only gently cooks the yolks, and the poached eggs are runny. Use pasteurized eggs, or skip both, for anyone pregnant, elderly or immunocompromised.