sauces

Hollandaise Sauce

Name: Hollandaise Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 large egg yolks; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon cold water; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm; Pinch of cayenne pepper; Kosher salt

The mother sauce that terrifies home cooks more than it should. Hollandaise is an emulsion: egg yolks, clarified butter, lemon, and cayenne, whisked together over gentle heat. The only skill involved is patience — add the butter slowly and keep the heat low. If it breaks, whisk in a tablespoon of cold water. It almost always comes back.

Prep: 5 min Cook: 10 min Total: 15 min Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt

Instructions

Whisk egg yolks, lemon juice, and cold water in a heatproof bowl until slightly thickened and lighter in color.
Set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. The bottom of the bowl must not touch the water.
Whisk continuously while adding the melted butter in a very thin stream — start drop by drop, then increase to a steady drizzle as the emulsion builds. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.
The sauce is done when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and holds a line when you draw your finger through it.
Season with salt and cayenne. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water. If it breaks, whisk in 1 tablespoon of ice water — this usually rescues it.
Serve immediately. Hollandaise does not reheat well. If you must hold it, keep the bowl over warm (not simmering) water for up to 30 minutes.