Making Hollandaise Sauce
This sauce relies on patience rather than speed. Keep the heat low to prevent the eggs from scrambling, and maintain a steady rhythm with your whisk until the mixture thickens into a pale, velvet-like consistency.
Temperature control is your only boundary.
Clarify your butter beforehand so it is warm but not hot, and have a bowl that fits snugly over your saucepan to create a tight steam seal.
- small saucepan
- stainless steel mixing bowl
- balloon whisk
- fine-mesh strainer
What goes in.
- 3large egg yolks
- 1 tbspcold water
- 1/2 cupclarified butter, melted and warm
- 1 tspfresh lemon juice
- to tastekosher salt
- pinchcayenne pepper
Slow Incorporation
Add the butter drop by drop at first. Only once the yolks have absorbed the initial fat and thickened should you begin pouring in a steady, thin stream.
The method.
Prepare the bain-marie
Fill your saucepan with one inch of water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low so the water is barely moving.
Whisk the yolks
In the mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, water, and lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture is pale and slightly increased in volume.
Cook the base
Place the bowl over the simmering water. Whisk constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until the yolks thicken and double in volume; they should feel warm to the touch.
Emulsify
Remove the bowl from the heat. Whisking continuously, add the warm clarified butter one teaspoon at a time until the sauce begins to emulsify. Switch to a thin, steady stream for the remaining butter.
Season
Stir in the salt and cayenne pepper. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if any stray cooked egg bits are visible.
Other turns to take.
Béarnaise
Replace the lemon juice with a reduction of white wine vinegar, shallots, and fresh tarragon.
Mousseline
Fold in two tablespoons of lightly whipped heavy cream just before serving to add volume.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Keep a damp kitchen towel under your mixing bowl to prevent it from sliding while you whisk.
If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water to loosen it.
Do not reheat hollandaise over direct heat; it will separate instantly. Use a bowl set over warm, not boiling, water.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my sauce turn into scrambled eggs?
The heat was too high or you stopped whisking. Keep the bowl off the direct steam if it feels too hot to touch.
Can I make this in a blender?
Yes, put the yolks, lemon, and seasonings in a blender. With the motor running, drizzle in hot melted butter. It is faster but yields a slightly different texture than the traditional whisking method.
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