Making Classic Hollandaise
This sauce demands your full attention for about ten minutes. Once you understand the relationship between the heat of the butter and the emulsion of the yolks, it becomes a reliable standard for your kitchen.
Control the temperature to keep it smooth
Your greatest enemy is heat that spikes too quickly. Use a heavy-bottomed pan for the butter and a stainless steel bowl that fits over a small saucepan of simmering water for the eggs.
- balloon whisk
- stainless steel mixing bowl
- small saucepan
- fine-mesh strainer
What goes in.
- 3large egg yolks
- 1/2 cupunsalted butter, clarified
- 1 tbspfresh lemon juice
- 1 tspwarm water
- to tastefine sea salt
- pinchcayenne pepper
Slow and steady incorporation
Pour the butter in a thread-thin stream while whisking rapidly. If the sauce looks oily or starts to break, stop the butter immediately and whisk in a teaspoon of warm water to reset the bond.
The method.
Clarify the butter
Melt the butter over low heat until the milk solids settle at the bottom and the top is clear gold. Pour off the clear fat and discard the solids; keep the fat warm.
Prepare the bain-marie
Bring an inch of water to a bare simmer in your saucepan. Place your bowl on top—ensure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
Whisk the yolks
Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, and warm water in the bowl. Whisk vigorously until the yolks thicken, double in volume, and turn pale yellow. You should see ribbons trail off your whisk.
Emulsify
Remove the bowl from the heat. Begin whisking in the warm butter, drop by drop, then increase to a thin, steady stream once the sauce begins to hold its shape. Keep moving the whisk continuously.
Season and hold
Once all butter is incorporated, whisk in salt and cayenne. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Keep in a warm spot, not over direct heat, until ready to serve.
Other turns to take.
Béarnaise
Steep white wine vinegar, minced shallots, and tarragon stalks in the vinegar before reducing by half. Add the reduction to the yolks before whisking, and fold in fresh chopped tarragon at the end.
Mousseline
Fold in two tablespoons of lightly whipped heavy cream just before serving to add volume and a lighter texture.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the sauce thickens too much, whisk in a few drops of hot water to loosen it.
Never let the water in the saucepan boil. Steam, not direct heat, cooks the yolks.
Serve immediately. Hollandaise does not reheat well once it begins to cool.
The ones that keep coming up.
My sauce curdled. Can I fix it?
Yes. Place a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl. Whisking constantly, very slowly pour the broken sauce into the new yolk. It will re-emulsify.
Why use clarified butter instead of whole butter?
Clarified butter has the milk solids removed, which prevents the sauce from becoming grainy and ensures a cleaner, silkier mouthfeel.
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