Hollandaise Sauce
Hollandaise sauce literally means Dutch Sauce in French. It is thought to have been widely used by French Protestants who fled France to Holland to escape persecution in the 16th century, and then to have re-entered France, where hollandaise sauce became a staple of French cuisine.
Hollandaise sauce can traditionally be a little daunting for home chefs to prepare; but not anymore, with this easy to follow recipe you will have perfect sauce every time. Play around with the ratios- some prefer it thinner and some prefer it thicker, and hollandaise isnt just for breakfast either!
Hollandaise sauce is brilliant over asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, grilled salmon and even on baked potatoes! I have a friend who loves it over a beef burger [he also pours in ketchup! He swears it tastes divine….], and of course, eggs benedict, eggs forestiere and smoked salmon eggs benedict. Try pouring some over a simple omelette or over your mashed potatoes. The possibilities are endless.
Traditional hollandaise sauce does not use herbs. However, I have included it here, because herbs are almost always used in conjunction with hollandaise, so I like to add some fresh herbs at the end, and then add more for a garnish. Technically speaking, when you add tarragon and shallots, the sauce is then called a Bernaise Sauce, and is a derivative of the classis Hollandaise sauce. Using fresh herbs in your Sauce is highy recommended; we like to use Tarragon or Chives but even Coriander/Cilantro and Dill works as there are so many versions you can play around with. When you are selecting the fresh herb you prefer, remember the Hollandaise Sauce wants a soft herb for the delicate flavours.
How do you serve your Hollandaise?
Hollandaise Sauce
Equipment
- Electronic digital scales
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowl
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 110 gram Butter [Note 1] 4 ounces
- 3 Large Free Range Egg Yolks [Note 2]
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice + more (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Fresh, minced tarragon or Chives
- ½ teaspoon shy Dijon mustard smooth mustard, NOT grain mustard
- Pinch Cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Gather and weigh your ingredients
- Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside with the lid on
- Whisk the yolks, 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice, 1 Tablespoon of hot water in a mixing bowl.
- Place the mixing bowl over a saucepan of simmering water [called a bain marie] - do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the barely simmering water; Slowly add the melted butter, whisking constantly. When it starts to get thick, add the mustard, Salt & White pepper (pinch) and the fresh herbs. (add any extra lemon juice if needed)
- If you need a few minutes to finish plating up your meal, you can set the Hollandaise on the side for a few minutes. When you need to plate up your meal, you may need to add a dash of hot water to the sauce and whisk over the simmering water again just before serving.
