Hollandaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium heatproof bowl
• •Small saucepan
• •Balloon whisk
• •Instant-read thermometer (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Clarify and warm the butter

   Cut the butter into pieces and melt it in a small saucepan over low heat. Do not rush this. As the butter melts, the milk solids will sink and the foam will rise. You want the golden liquid between them. Keep the butter warm but not hot. If you cannot comfortably hold your finger in it, let it cool. Too much heat will cook your yolks instead of emulsifying them.

   You can skim the foam and pour off the clear butter, leaving solids behind, or simply pour carefully. The milk solids add flavor if you include them.
2. 2

   Prepare the double boiler

   Bring an inch of water to a bare simmer in a saucepan. The water should steam but not boil vigorously. Set a heatproof bowl over the pan, making sure the bottom does not touch the water. This gentle, indirect heat is what makes hollandaise forgiving.

3. 3

   Whisk the yolks

   Add the egg yolks and cold water to the bowl. Whisk constantly until the mixture turns pale and thickens enough to see the bottom of the bowl between strokes, about two to three minutes. The yolks should feel warm to the touch but never hot. If they start to look grainy, pull the bowl off the heat immediately and whisk in a splash of cold water.

   The cold water adds insurance. It provides steam that helps the yolks cook gently and adds volume to the finished sauce.
4. 4

   Add the butter slowly

   Remove the bowl from heat. Begin adding the warm butter in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. Go slowly at first, just a few drops, until the sauce begins to thicken and emulsify. As it comes together, you can add butter more quickly. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon, glossy and pale yellow. Leave the milky solids at the bottom of the butter pan or include them for deeper flavor.

5. 5

   Season and taste

   Whisk in the lemon juice, salt, and cayenne. Taste. The lemon should brighten without making the sauce acidic. The salt should bring the butter and eggs forward. Adjust until the sauce tastes balanced and alive. If it seems too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water.

   A squeeze of lemon at the end is better than too much from the start. You can always add brightness, but you cannot take it away.
6. 6

   Keep warm and serve

   Hollandaise waits for nothing. Serve it immediately over poached eggs, steamed asparagus, or grilled fish. If you must hold it briefly, set the bowl over barely warm water and whisk occasionally. It will thicken as it cools and break if it gets too hot. The window is small, which is part of its charm. Good things often require our full attention.

Chef Tips

• •Buy eggs from a farmer you trust. The yolk color tells you everything about how the hens lived. Deep orange yolks mean pasture, sunlight, and insects in the diet. Pale yolks mean confinement and commodity feed.
• •European-style butters with 82% butterfat or higher make richer, more stable sauces. Look for brands like Plugra, Kerrygold, or butter from small creameries at your farmers market.
• •If your sauce breaks and looks curdled, start fresh with one yolk in a clean bowl. Whisk it over gentle heat, then slowly whisk in the broken sauce. It will come back together.
• •In spring, make hollandaise for asparagus the day you buy it from the market. The sweetness of just-cut stalks and the richness of the sauce is one of the great pleasures of the season.

Advance Preparation

• •Hollandaise is best made fresh and served within 30 minutes. It does not reheat well and cannot be made ahead.
• •Clarified butter can be prepared a day ahead and gently rewarmed before whisking into the yolks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 38g)