To make hollandaise, whisk egg yolks with lemon over gentle heat until thick, then slowly stream in warm melted butter while whisking until it emulsifies into a glossy sauce. Three yolks carry a cup of butter. It is the warm-emulsion mother sauce.
What is hollandaise?
Hollandaise is the outlier among the five mother sauces. It is thickened not by a roux but by an emulsion, egg yolks holding melted butter in a smooth, warm suspension, sharpened with lemon. It has the richness of butter and the lift of acid, and it is poured over eggs, asparagus, and fish.
It also has a reputation for being temperamental, which is half deserved. The trick is heat: too much and the yolks scramble, too little and the sauce never thickens. Get the gentle middle right and hollandaise is quick. It is the parent of béarnaise and the reason brunch menus exist.
What goes in hollandaise?
- ·3 large egg yolks
- ·1 tbsp lemon juice
- ·1 tbsp cold water
- ·1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and warm
- ·1/4 tsp salt
- ·Pinch of cayenne (optional)
The working ratio is three yolks to one cup of butter, with lemon and a splash of water to start the emulsion. More butter per yolk gives a richer, looser sauce; fewer makes it tight. The water is small but important, giving the yolks room to whip up before the butter goes in.
How do you make hollandaise?
- Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water.
- Whisk the yolks, lemon juice, and cold water in the bowl until pale and thickened into ribbons, about two minutes.
- Take the bowl off the heat and add the warm melted butter in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Whisk in the salt and a pinch of cayenne if you like. Loosen with a few drops of warm water if it is too thick.
- Serve within the hour, kept somewhere warm but not hot.
What should you know before making hollandaise?
- Keep the heat gentle. If the bowl gets too hot the yolks scramble. You want warmth, not a cook.
- Add the butter slowly at first. The emulsion is most fragile at the start; rushing the butter breaks it.
- If it breaks, rescue it. Whisk a fresh yolk with a teaspoon of water in a clean bowl and stream the broken sauce back in.
- Serve it fresh. Hollandaise does not reheat; make it close to serving and hold it somewhere warm.
Where did hollandaise come from?
Hollandaise was placed among the five French mother sauces by Auguste Escoffier in 1903, the only one built on an emulsion rather than a roux. Its name nods to a supposed Dutch influence, though like espagnole the sauce belongs to the French kitchen that perfected it.
Drawn from the public-domain text of Auguste Escoffier, Le Guide Culinaire (1903).
What can you make from hollandaise?
Common questions.
What is the ratio for hollandaise?
Three egg yolks to one cup of melted butter, with about a tablespoon each of lemon juice and water to start the emulsion. That makes roughly one cup of sauce.
Why did my hollandaise break or curdle?
Either the heat was too high and the yolks scrambled, or the butter went in too fast. Keep the heat gentle and stream the butter slowly while whisking.
How do you fix a broken hollandaise?
Whisk a fresh egg yolk with a teaspoon of warm water in a clean bowl, then slowly whisk the broken sauce into it. The new yolk re-forms the emulsion.
What is hollandaise used for?
It is the sauce on eggs benedict and the classic partner for asparagus, poached fish, and steamed vegetables. Turned into béarnaise, it dresses steak.
Can you make hollandaise ahead?
Not really. It does not reheat without breaking. Make it close to serving and hold it somewhere warm, not hot, for up to an hour.