How To Make Hollandaise Sauce

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• ½ cup butter 1 stick, melted
• pinch cayenne pepper

Instructions

We’ve Cracked The Code For The Easiest Ever Hollandaise Sauce Recipe Follow Along As We Break It Down Step

Taste of Home

There are few sauces as tasty as homemade Hollandaise. Whether you prefer to drizzle it on top of grilled veggies or smother it on a few poached eggs for a restaurant-style Benedict, the classic French sauce is a winner at any dinner-table spread. However the sauce owes its creamy, melt-in-your-mouth taste to a tricky technique: emulsification.

How to Emulsify Ingredients

Baffled by emulsion? Youre not alone. Even seasoned cooks stumble with this step. By definition, emulsification means mixing together two ingredients that dont like to be mixed. A traditional Hollandaise sauce recipe typically calls for just that. Ingredients like butter, water and lemon juice need to be mixed together so rapidly that the fat breaks up into tiny droplets that incorporate evenly into the liquid .

So, how do you work with ingredients that dont play nice together? The traditional way is to whisk the ingredients together quickly on a double boiler. Luckily, you can save yourself some elbow grease because weve found an easier method. Follow along as we guide you through our easiest ever recipe for hollandaise.

How to Make Easy Hollandaise Sauce

Youll Need:

Immersion blender

Step One: Combine Ingredients

Combine together the eggs, water, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small glass jar. A mason jar works perfectly.

Step Two: Heat the Butter

Step Three: Blend, Blend, Blend!

Pro tip: Be careful to not add the butter too quick, as this could cause the sauce to break.

The Best Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients Are The Simplest

Some people add fresh herbs or other seasonings to their hollandaise, but we are hollandaise sauce purists. Get creative with how you serve it, sure, but some things are sacred and true French hollandaise sauce is one of them! Keep it super simple, and focus on nailing that perfect, softly yellow, creamy sauce. To make our classic hollandaise sauce recipe, youll just need:

• Egg yolks

• Fresh lemon juice

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How Do You Make Hollandaise

Hollandaise is an emulsion. An emulsion is a suspension of one substance inside anothereggs and melted butter would normally not mix, but by constantly whisking and adding the butter slowly, you achieve a velvety rich sauce as a result.

Using a blender is a popular, and fast, way to make hollandaise. We even have a blender version on Simply Recipes. But, I prefer the stovetop method because the sauce whips up into an almost mousse-like consistency.

Here are a few tips to achieve a perfect sauce:

• Use room temperature, not cold, butter. Butter straight from the fridge is more likely to cause the hollandaise to break.
• This recipe involves a lot of whisking. You can use an electric hand mixer on medium speed or a handheld electric whisk if you dont want to do all that whisking by hand.
• Whisk like you mean it. Whisking is what keeps the sauce from separating, plus it gives the sauce a lighter body.
• Use a nonreactive pan, such as stainless steel because making this sauce in an aluminum pan can give it a gray hue.

How To Make This Recipe

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The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.

Get prepped

Melt the butter

Melt the butter in small saucepan until hot and foamy . Discard the foam from the butter. You can melt the butter in the microwave, if you prefer.

Let the butter cool slightly. You do NOT want to use steaming hot butter, thats what can cause your sauce to break.

Blend

Add the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice to blender and blend for 30 seconds . The heat from blending will help make your sauce thick.

Open the top and with the blender running, slowly stream the hot butter in a steady, thin stream.

Add the pepper then taste the sauce, adding the other tablespoon of lemon juice if you like it super lemony.

Keep warm

Use immediately or keep warm by adding the sauce to a bowl and setting it in another bowl filled with warm, simmering water.

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How To Store Hollandaise Sauce

Once made, or if store-bought, once opened, use the hollandaise sauce straightaway. Where this is not possible, store the sauce temporarily in a fridge, providing it is no longer than a couple of hours. When storing hollandaise sauce for longer, first put it into a sealed container, such as a heatproof bowl, sealed airtight with plastic wrapping. Even when sealed like this , do not keep hollandaise for longer than 48 hours.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients

Back in the day, my husband and I were rather famous for our Salmon and Avocado Egg Benedicts, a brunch favorite, and we always took the easy way out by using a packaged mix for the hollandaise.

But after my friend Sherrie taught me the how to make hollandaise sauce in a blender, there really wasnt any reason to go back to the gloopy, packaged dry mix again.

Blender hollandaise is just 4 ingredients:

• Egg yolks: Choose the freshest you can find and save the whites for tomorrows breakfast.
• Lemon juice: Theres no room in this recipe for anything but fresh squeezed.
• Butter: I call for unsalted butter but if salted is what you have, use it. Just make sure its a high-quality one.
• Kosher salt: Always use the larger crystalled kosher salt instead of the more bitter table salt, and just a pinch will do.

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Ingredients In Hollandaise Sauce:

Heres the basic of ingredients youll need in order to make this sauce at home. As always, you can find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below.

• Egg Yolks just the yolks, no whites needed
• Lemon Juice you can use white vinegar as a substitute
• Melted Butter I prefer to use salted butter
• Cayenne Pepper optional, but adds a great flavor

How To Make Tahini Sauce

The main ingredient in tahini sauce is tahini, which made from ground sesame seeds . Heres how you make the sauce at home:

• Start with the freshest ingredients, including a high-quality tahini , freshly squeezed lemons and minced garlic . With only a handful of ingredients, youll get the most powerful and robust flavor from fresh ingredients.
• Whisk the tahini sauce ingredients together, until its creamy and smooth. When you first start whisking youll noticed some separation, due to the water. Dont worry, just keep whisking. After another minute or so, itll come back together for an ultra-creamy sauce.
• Taste it and make any variations based on your personal flavor preferences. Want it tangier? Add more lemon. Want it spicier? Add some cayenne powder. Want it green? Add some herbs.
• Use it immediately or store for up to two weeks in the fridge. This recipe makes a little more than one cup of sauce, so you should have plenty to enjoy!

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What Is Hollandaise Sauce

If youve never experienced the magic of hollandaise sauce, let me attempt to describe it to you. Its 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. If youve ever had Eggs Benedict, this is the dreamy yellow sauce that is drizzled over top. But its great on a lot more than just Eggs Benedict

How To Fix A Broken Hollandaise Sauce

There are a few ways you can fix a broken Hollandaise. If your sauce is greasy and curdled, try one of these methods.

• Move the broken Hollandaise to a bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Whisk in cool water, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth.
• Start over with fresh egg yolks in the blender and beat the egg yolks for 30 seconds, Then, with the blender running, slowly pour the broken Hollandaise into the egg yolks instead of freshly melted butter.

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Tips To Ensure A Creamy Hollandaise Sauce

• Blend the egg yolks for 30 full seconds in Step 2. This step heats the egg yolks and gives the sauce body, so its not runny.
• Add butter in a thin stream, not all at once.
• Dont melt the butter at a high temperature, because itll evaporate the water in the butter. And a little extra water helps the hollandaise emulsify better.
• If the butter is only barely warm, it wont heat the yolks enough to thicken the sauce. If the sauce is emulsified but too thin, pour the sauce into the pot you melted the butter in and heat over low heat, whisking constantly until it gets more body.

Serve Hollandaise Sauce Right Away

You can hold a Hollandaise for about an hour or so, provided you keep it warm. One way to do this is to set the bowl atop the saucepan of warm water you used earlier. Letting it cool can cause it to break, although it can be rescued by whisking in some hot water. Likewise, it can break if it gets too hot , in which case whisking in some cold water can sometimes save it.

In no case, though, should you keep it longer than a couple of hours after that, you should just toss it.

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An Easy Hollandaise Sauce

Creamy, buttery and easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce eliminates the task of whisking egg yolks because your immersion blender does all the work. You can have your poached eggs, fish, or vegetables deliciously sauced in just under 5 minutes with very little effort.

I have to admit to you the first time I made Hollandaise Sauce, I thought I was theIT. I was THE gourmet chef I always wanted to be. In fact, most fancy sauces prepared by me, make me feel like the queen of the kitchen. Even if its just your truly easy Honey Mustard Sauce. Or something more complex, like Bechamel Sauce.

In the world of Chefs, theres a position called, Saucier that persons job is to make all the sauces. Thats how major sauces are in the world of cooking.

When I learned that Hollandaise sauce can be made with just my handheld blender, I never looked back. Forget the double boiler, the constant whisking, and the chance of sauce separating. With this recipe, you will create an amazing Hollandaise Sauce that comes out perfect each and every time.

Also, with ZERO grams of carbs and ZERO grams of sugar, this is the ideal sauce for those on Keto or a Low Carb lifestyle.

Without A Blender Stovetop Method

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. *This can also be done in the microwave.

Place the egg yolks and lemon juice into a medium-sized bowl over a saucepan with a small amount of simmering water . Carefully whisk until slightly thickened.

Whisking constantly, pour the melted butter mixture into the egg yolks in a thin stream until thickened and pale yellow. Remove the bowl from the heat and serve.

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Recipe For Hollandaise Sauce

This recipe will blow your mind with how simple it is. Just 4 ingredients and a couple of minutes and this classic sauce is ready for you to do whatever you like with .

A lot of people are afraid to make Hollandaise after seeing Gordon Ramsey swear at young chefs when it separates . That makes making this a little scarier, but relax, I got you.

The main trick is making sure your butter isnt too hot and that you blend the eggs properly before trying to add the butter.

After that, its pretty much fool proof and you will have a perfectly balanced sauce!

Is It Safe To Eat Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise sauce is made with raw egg yolks which is why many people are uneasy about using it. If this is you, I suggest buying pasteurized egg yolks.

From personal experience, I have never had any issues with eating Hollandaise Sauce that was made with raw egg yolks. Knock on wood!

Adding acid raises the temperature at which egg yolks cook, so we can heat them to 140F, killing the bacteria, but without cooking the egg. The hot butter also helps in cooking the egg yolks to about 145F to 150F, which is considered SAFE for consumption. Anything over 150F, and youre risking the chance of curdled, scrambled eggs.

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How To Make Hollandaise Sauce In A Blender

If you love a good hollandaise sauce, whether its over eggs Benedict on Saturday morning or a plate of asparagus at a holiday dinner, then youre a friend of mine. Maybe you didnt know that this creamy, buttery, slightly tangy sauce that you love so dearly could be made at home in about two minutes using just a blender. Want to impress your friends this weekend? Invite them for brunch and tell them youre making hollandaise sauce.

Use A Blender For Easy Homemade Hollandaise

A good hollandaise depends on the technique of slowly emulsifying warm butter into egg yolks and vinegar or lemon juice. This can be accomplished with a whisk and some arm power, or you can choose the easier, faster route: a blender. Just combine the yolks and lemon juice in a blender, stream in the melted butter, and a few minutes later, your hollandaise sauce is ready for draping over your item of choice.

Using a blender also gives you some insurance when making this notoriously finicky sauce, which can quite easily break into a buttery, egg-flecked mess if the emulsion doesnt happen properly. The blades of a blender are far faster and more powerful than even the strongest arm-wrestler, and they can whip the butter into the yolks better than anything else. With a blender, you can promise hollandaise sauce for Easter brunch with real confidence.

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Dos And Donts Of Egg Safety

Buying eggs

• Dont buy eggs unless they are in a fridge or fridge unit.
• Take the carton out and ensure your eggs are in good condition and the shells arent broken.
• Keep eggs in the original cartons and use the eggs within 3 weeks to ensure the highest quality.

Storing eggs

• Refrigerate leftover egg dishes cooked in the oven and serve within 3-4 days. If you are refrigerating a lot of leftover hot eggs and dividing them into multiple small containers to allow them to get cool fast.
• Use eggs that have been cooked hard within one week after cooking.

Cooking eggs correctly

• Cook eggs until the yolk, as well as the white, are set. The scrambled eggs shouldnt be runny.
• For recipes that require eggs that are not cooked or are undercooked when serving the foodfor example, Caesar salad dressing or homemade ice creammake use of pasteurized eggs or eggs that have been treated by some other acceptable method.

Why Your Hollandaise Broke & How To Fix It

A hollandaise can break, or separate back into a layer of butter with floating grainy flecks, for a few reasons if the butter is added too quickly if the sauce gets too cold or too hot or if youve waited too long before serving. Making your sauce in a powerful blender makes a more stable sauce thats less prone to breaking, but even so, it happens.

If your sauce does break, all is not lost. Here are a few things to try, in order of desperation:

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How To Make Hollandaise Sauce Step By Step Photos

Add 1 Tbsp water and ½ Tbsp lemon juice to the pot with the egg yolk, then whisk the yolk and lemon juice until smooth .

Cut 4 Tbsp butter into small pieces . Add them to the pot with the yolk, water, and lemon juice.

Place the pot over medium-low heat and continuously whisk while the butter begins to melt.

Continue to whisk as the mixture begins to heat. Youll notice it begin to get frothy

And then when the egg yolk begins to actually cook, it will thicken the sauce to a consistency similar to gravy. Make sure youre whisking throughout this entire process. It should only take 3-5 minutes for the sauce to thicken. Remove the sauce from the heat once thickened.

Season the sauce with about tsp cayenne and tsp salt .

And now your rich and dreamy lemony sauce is ready to eat! You did that!

Drizzle that heavenly sauce over all your favorite foods!

How To Use Hollandaise Sauce

As mentioned above, hollandaise sauce is often served over poached eggs, like in Eggs Benedict, but its also great over steamed or roasted vegetables, like asparagus, potatoes, or broccoli. The buttery lemon flavor is also great on salmon, crab, or even steak. Hollandaise sauce is practically all butter and I think we can all agree that butter tastes great on everything!

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How To Reheat Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise Sauce that cools from warm to room temperature will thicken slightly but still be pourable and can be used. Once the sauce hits a hot poached egg say, it warms it up.

Fridge cold Hollandaise Sauce is very thick it has a peanut butter consistency. You need to be extremely careful reheating it to ensure that you dont cook the eggs even setting a bowl over another boil with boiling water is unreliable and will make the eggs scramble as I found out first hand!

I find the best way to gently reheat Hollandaise Sauce is to submerge a sealed container in a bowl of warm water no hotter than 50°C/122°F . Leave it for around 20 minutes, stir sauce, change the water and repeat, until it is slightly warmer than room temp and pourable.

See? Its back to freshly made perfection!