Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons white-wine or tarragon vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons boiling water
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Melt the butter and keep it warm.
- Heat the vinegar or lemon juice until just warmed. Have small saucepan with boiling water and a measuring tablespoon ready.
- Place the top of a double boiler over (not in) hot water. (This means the bottom of the top of the double boiler sound not make contact with the water heating in the bottom half of the double boiler.)
- Place the egg yolks in the top of a double boiler and whisk until they begin to thicken. Now add 1 tablespoon of the boiling water. Continue to beat the sauce until it begins to thicken. Repeat with the remaining water, one tablespoon at a time, beating the mixture after each addition.
- Now add the warmed vinegar or lemon juice. Remove the double boiler from the heat. Beat the sauce briskly with a wire whisk. Continue to beat the mixture as you slowly pour in the melted butter. Add the salt and cayenne and beat the sauce until it is thick.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Hollandaise sauce
Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of butter and lemon juice using egg yolks as the emulsifying agent, usually seasoned with salt and a little black pepper or cayenne pepper. It is a French sauce, so named because it was believed to have been, or to have mimicked, a Dutch sauce. Hollandaise sauce is well known as a key ingredient in eggs Benedict. The sauce is one of the five sauces in the French haute cuisine mother sauce repertoire.
Hollandaise requires some skill and knowledge to prepare; care must also be taken to store it properly after preparation. Properly made, the sauce should be smooth and creamy. The flavor should be rich and buttery, with a mild tang added by the lemon juice and seasonings. It must be made and served warm, not hot. If the ingredients are not emulsified properly by over-heating them or not heating them enough, they will separate, resulting in the sauce “breaking” from the emulsion with the yolks coagulating from excessive heat. The sauce may be portioned and frozen for future use. When ready to use, let it come to room temperature; some stirring may be required.
Classic Hollandaise Sauce
A rich egg based sauce flavored with a bit of lemon or vinegar, butter and a hint of cayenne pepper. The sauce is served over vegetables, fish, or Eggs Benedict.
The most important aspect of a successful sauce is to use a double boiler and make sure not to allow the water in the bottom of the double boiler to boil, just remain, hot and lightly simmering. You can add a tablespoon of cold water if needed to reduce the heat of the water if it starts to boil.
The sauce should be served immediately upon completion.