The word ‘hollandaise’ can often instill fear into otherwise happy apron wearers, but no more! Our super-easy hollandaise sauce will have you scrambling to make batches of eggs Benedict for hungry friends and family. Easy, simple, and delicious.
A few handy hints when tackling the hollandaise:
- Ensure that the bowl never touches the water.
- Always add the butter slowly – one cube at a time.
- Whisk continuously to prevent the eggs from curdling.
Hollandaise sauce
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 30ml (2 tbsp) water
- 175g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
- sea salt and ground white pepper, to taste
Instructions
1Place a heatproof bowl over a medium saucepan that is quarter-filled with simmering water. The bowl should fit snugly into the pan without touching the water. If the water is too hot, the eggs will curdle.
2Place the egg yolks and water in the heatproof bowl and place over the pan. Use a whisk to whisk the mixture constantly for 3 minutes or until it is thick and pale, doubled in volume and a ribbon trail forms when the whisk is lifted.
3Add the butter a cube at a time, whisking constantly and adding another cube when the previous one is incorporated completely. (It should take about 10 minutes to add it all.)
4The sauce will begin to thin when you start adding the butter. However, once the emulsion is established (after about the third cube), it will begin to thicken again. It will continue to thicken as the remaining butter is added.
5Remove the bowl from the pan and place on a heatproof surface. The cooked sauce should have the consistency of very lightly whisked, thickened cream. Whisk in the lemon juice and season with salt and white pepper. Serve immediately.
