A perfect, creamy hollandaise is the secret to the best eggs Benedict ever, but it's also amazing on veggies or anything else. Fortunately, it's really not that hard to make! You just need a good hollandaise sauce recipe and a few simple ingredients.
Perfect Hollandaise Sauce Recipe
Making hollandaise sauce doesn't require a ton of fancy ingredients, but there are a few steps that make it way easier. For instance, having a double boiler will keep you from overcooking the egg yolks. This recipe makes one cup of hollandaise sauce, so it's perfect if you are serving 2-4 people.
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- ½ cup butter, cut into half-inch slices
Instructions
- Combine the egg yolks and lemon juice in a stainless steel bowl or the top of a double boiler. Beat well with a wire whisk until the mixture turns light yellow and doubles in volume.
- Put the bowl over a pan containing barely simmering water, or put the top of the double boiler on the base that contains barely simmering water.
- Add the salt and cayenne pepper and whisk well.
- While you're whisking, add the butter, one piece at a time. Stir constantly as the butter is added. When each piece of butter is completely melted and incorporated into the egg yolks, add another piece. When half of the butter has been added, you can add three or four pieces of butter at once.
- Keep going, whisking vigorously, until all the butter has been added. The sauce should be doubled in volume.
- Serve immediately.
The secret to a perfect hollandaise sauce is resisting the urge to rush. Be patient as you add the butter and allow it to fully mix with the egg yolks before adding more.
Handy Hollandaise Hacks
Hollandaise sauce is simple, but it does take kind of a light touch. These hacks can help you solve any problems you might run into as you're making it.
- Keep a small saucepan of boiling water on the stove while you make the sauce. If the sauce breaks or starts to separate, whisk in a teaspoon of boiling water.
- If the sauce breaks, you can also fix it by adding another egg yolk. Put the yolk in a metal bowl and very slowly beat in the broken sauce.
- You can add just about any fresh chopped herb to this sauce for a change of pace. Add 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or thyme, or add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon.
- If your timing isn't quite perfect for your meal (happens to us all the time) and you need to keep your hollandaise warm while you make other things, put it in an insulated drink container.
All You Need to Elevate Any Meal
Whether you're whipping up some eggs Benedict for brunch or adding a special touch to veggies or fish, a good Hollandaise sauce recipe is all you need to elevate any meal. It looks fancy, but you've got the skills. Grab your double boiler and get started.
