Hollandaise Sauce
by: Chef Ed Richardson
Introduction
Hollandaise sauce has become an essential component of breakfast dishes with its rich and decadent egg-base and creamy, buttery flavor. It is one of the 5 mother sauces, the title used for 5 classic sauces associated with French cuisine, and can be the base for other sauces like choron, bearnaise sauce, or flavored hollandaise. Serve Hollandaise sauce right away because it does not hold well and is sensitive to time and temperature.
Ingredients
6 large egg yolks
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tablespoon white wine
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/2 cups clarified butter or unsalted butter, melted
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Double Boiler
Fill a medium-sized saucepan with a few inches of water.
Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat on a Wolf Burner.
Once simmering, reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer.
Place a heatproof bowl over the saucepan to create a double boiler. Ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Whisk the Egg Yolk Base
In the heatproof bowl, whisk together: egg yolks, lemon juice, and wine.
Whisk until the mixture is well combined.
Cook and Thicken
Continuously whisk vigorously over the gentle simmer.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl constantly to prevent curdling.
Continue whisking for 2–3 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and has turned pale yellow.
Remove from Heat
Carefully lift the bowl off the saucepan.
Turn the Wolf Burner off completely.
Place a kitchen towel over the now-cool burner grate or surface.
Set the bowl on top of the towel to stabilize it while you emulsify the butter.
Emulsify the Butter
While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the melted butter.
Add the butter gradually to prevent the sauce from breaking.
Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth, glossy, and fully emulsified.
