France · Sauces and Dips
Hollandaise Sauce
A warm, buttery emulsion of egg yolks, clarified butter, and lemon juice whisked over gentle heat until it holds its own weight on a spoon.
Ingredients
- egg yolks3
- unsalted butter150 g
- lemon juice1 tbsp
- cold water1 tbsp
- cayenne pepperpinch
- saltto taste
Method
- 1Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Do not let it brown. Once melted, set it aside — you want it warm but not hot, around 55–60°C. If it's too hot, the eggs will scramble on contact.
- 2Set up a double boiler: place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Add egg yolks and cold water to the bowl.
- 3Whisk the yolks and water vigorously for about 2 minutes until the mixture turns pale, thick, and roughly doubles in volume. You should see the whisk leave trails that hold for a second. If the eggs start to look like they're cooking on the edges, lift the bowl off the water immediately.
- 4Remove the bowl from heat. Begin adding the melted butter very slowly — start with a thin drizzle, whisking constantly. Once the emulsion starts to hold (after about a third of the butter is in), you can add the butter in a slightly thicker stream. Keep whisking. If the sauce looks too thick at any point, add a few drops of warm water.
- 5Once all the butter is incorporated, whisk in the lemon juice, cayenne, and salt. Taste and adjust. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and hold a line when you drag your finger through it. Serve immediately — hollandaise does not reheat well.