Classic Hollandaise Sauce (2024)

FAQs

What is the basic formula for hollandaise? ›

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, cold water, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into butter. Continue whisking over low heat for 8 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.

hollandaise sauce, one of the classic sauces of French cooking, made of butter, egg yolks, lemon juice, and pepper and usually served on fish, eggs, or vegetables.

Tips & Techniques > Troubleshooting Hollandaise

If the heat is too high, the egg yolks will curdle and the sauce will become grainy. When a sauce splits, this means that the fat has separated from the egg foam (the sauce has lost its emulsion). The result will look thin, greasy, and lumpy.

It's what happens next that sets them apart: Hollandaise gets its acidity from lemon juice (sometimes vinegar) and is usually seasoned with salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Béarnaise, meanwhile, builds upon hollandaise with white wine vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and other fresh herbs.

The butter breaks into minute droplets, while the egg yolk acts as an emulsifier, helping to keep those droplets dispersed, as well as thickening the sauce. What you get is a creamy, smooth sauce with a rich texture and mild flavor, perfect for topping eggs, fish, or vegetables.

How do you fix a runny hollandaise? Blenders tend to make runny hollandaise - it's usually because the butter was too cold and hasn't cooked the eggs enough to thicken them. To thicken a runny hollandaise, tip the mixture into a heatproof bowl set over simmering water and whisk over the heat until thickened.

Hollandaise should be held between 120F to 145F (49 to 63C) so it does not split or curdle. If the sauce is heated above 150F, the eggs can overcook, become grainy and the sauce can potentially split.

Hollandaise sauce is a rich and creamy sauce that has been a staple in French cuisine for centuries. Made from butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice, Hollandaise sauce has a tangy and buttery flavor that can elevate any dish.

Popular theory places its origin to a town in Normandy, France called "Isigny-Sur-Mer", known for its high-quality butter. According to history, France couldn't produce its own butter during the First World War and imported it from Holland – which led to it being known as Hollandaise.

While there's risk in eating undercooked meat (rare burgers) and raw egg dishes (Caesar dressing), hollandaise is particularly vulnerable to foodborne illness because the egg yolks aren't fully cooked, and the sauce isn't served hot (eggs should be heated to at least 135 degrees).

What happens if too much butter is added to a hollandaise? ›

The second cause is either adding too much butter or adding it too quickly. When either of these occur, the sauce will look glossy like icing and pull away from the sides of the bowl, while the butter will float on top of the mixture.

Add 1 tsp Dijon mustard to your bowl or blender before you add in the eggs. The mustard with stabilize your sauce and will prevent it from separating.

If you've never experienced the magic of hollandaise sauce, let me attempt to describe it to you. It's a very simple savory sauce made with butter, egg yolk, lemon, and salt. It has a smooth, velvety texture with just the right amount of bright lemon flavor to keep it from being too heavy.

Poached or sauteed chicken breasts are served with a rich buttery Hollandaise sauce are served with hot cooked rice. The chicken breasts are simply poached or sauteed then they're placed on rice, topped with rich homemade hollandaise sauce.

White wine vinegar provides an excellent alternative to lemon juice, but it's worth noting that other citrus options like orange, blood orange, or lime juice can also be used as substitutes. The beauty of these alternatives is that they can impart unique and intriguing flavor profiles to your sauce.

The scientific principle here is the development of an emulsion, using egg yolks and lemon juice as agents of that process. You will whisk the egg yolks so vigorously that thousands, perhaps millions, of egg globules are suspended in a mixture of lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Hollandaise and its derivative sauces are often served over eggs, vegetables, or lighter meats like poultry and fish. It's worth mentioning that hollandaise is derived from mayonnaise and hasn't always been classified as a mother sauce. Hollandaise combines egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice.