Hollandaise sauce is a classic French sauce known for its rich, velvety texture. It’s made with a simple formula of egg yolks, clarified butter, and lemon juice. However, as simple as the recipe is, it can be tricky because a successful sauce depends on maintaining the correct temperature.
To make hollandaise, melted butter is slowly whisked into the egg yolks, forming a stable emulsion, where the butter is dispersed uniformly in the egg yolk and water mixture. A splash of lemon juice balances the rich buttery flavor, and a pinch of cayenne pepper is an optional flavor.
Use clarified butter in this basic hollandaise sauce if at all possible. It’s excellent over fresh cooked asparagus and eggs Benedict.
PrintClassic Hollandaise Sauce
This classic emulsified sauce is flavored with a small amount of lemon juice. Use a goog quality butter to make Hollandaise, preferably clarified butter.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Sauces and Seasonings, Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- pinch salt
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (6 ounces), cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
- 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- pinch cayenne pepper, optional
Instructions
- Place a medium stainless steel bowl or saucepan over a larger pan filled with simmering water (the bottom of the top pan should not touch the water). In the smaller top pan or bow, whisk the egg yolks with the cold water and butter. Continue whisking until the egg mixture feels warm.
- Add 2 tablespoons (2 pieces) of the butter and whisk it into the egg mixture until almost fully incorporated. Repeat with remaining butter, incorporating each addition completely before adding more.
- Whisk in the lemon juice and then transfer the sauce to a warm container.
- If desired, add a pinch of ground cayenne pepper.
- If you must keep the sauce warm, set the container in a pan of barely simmering water. If the sauce thickens too much, thin with a small amount of simmering water.
