Hollandaise Sauce
Hollandaise sauce is one of the five French “Mother Sauces,” and is a versatile sauce that every cook should master. Emulsified sauces can be tricky to make, but with a few key tips, I am confident that you can master it.
The most familiar food item that comes to mind when you mention Hollandaise sauce is Eggs Benedict. I made the version below on our Foodie trip to the Dordogne region in France and used seared beef tenderloin medallions in place of the ham or Canadian bacon, and I served it on toasted Brioche instead of the standard English muffin. Yes, it was pretty yummy!
As with all of the French “Mother Sauces,” Hollandaise is a foundation sauce that can be transformed into many variations. Béarnaise sauce is probably the most familiar of these variations, and is made by adding a tarragon reduction to the base Hollandaise recipe. If you want to take it a step further, you can make a Choron sauce by adding a tomato product to the Béarnaise sauce. My favorite version of Choron sauce uses my “Smoked Tomato Confit.”
TOOL TIP:
Balloon whisks are essential tools for every kitchen. The thin stainless steel wires ensure that the product you are whisking gets properly aerated. This 11-inch Oxo whisk is perfect for small batches of whipped cream, homemade mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce.
Emulsion sauces like mayonnaise, aioli and hollandaise can be tricky to make, but are much easier with the correct tools. A balloon whisk (see above) is imperative when making these sauces by hand. Oil does not like to combine with other liquids, so with an emulsified sauce, you need to coerce the two ingredients to come together. Here are a few pointers for a great Hollandaise sauce:
- Lighten the egg yolks with a little white wine
- Whisk the egg and wine mixture thoroughly before heating and adding the butter
- Warm the egg yolk mixture but do not overcook it
- Add your oil or butter to your egg yolks in a slow and steady stream, while vigorously whisking.
- Keep the completed sauce warm, but not too hot until service
I served this bacon and spinach quiche with an herbed Hollandaise sauce.
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Another great recipe on my blog that features Hollandaise sauce is my Flounder Oscar.
On our most recent Foodie trip to the Loire valley, we grilled salmon fillets and served them over roasted root vegetables with a Smoked Tomato-Choron Sauce.
Hollandaise Sauce
Course: SaucesCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Medium6
servings5
minutes5
minutesIngredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
1 Tablespoon dry white wine
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and ground white pepper to taste
Directions
- Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. Set another medium-sized saucepan on the stove over high heat with an inch of water in it, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the egg yolks and the white wine. Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes.
- Place the bowl over the pan of hot water (it should rest on the top of the saucepan and the bottom of the bowl should not make direct contact with the water) and whisk continuously for about 2 minutes. This is a tricky step. The idea is to heat the egg yolk mixture without turning it into scrambled eggs. If the sauce appears to be thickening too quickly, then remove it from the heat for a few seconds, and whisk it off the heat. When the sauce is warm to the touch and thick, it is ready for the addition of the melted butter.
- Add the melted butter 1 Tablespoon at a time and whisk in very well before each addition. Finish the sauce with the lemon juice and season with a pinch of white pepper and salt to taste.
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One of my favorites!
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