Recipes - Ryan McGreal

Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of lemon/vinegar and melted butter, held together with egg yolks. The trick to Hollandaise sauce is to keep the mix warm enough that the butter stays melted, but not so warm that the egg yolks start to cook and the sauce "breaks". Butter melts to a liquid at 35°C (95°F) and egg yolk starts to cook at 65°C (150°F), so the safe window is between 35°C and 65°C. In my experience it is very easy to overheat the mixture, so really aim to keep the bowl warm rather than hot.

Instructions

In a small pot, melt butter over low heat. Once the butter has melted, turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes (but not enough to solidify).
In another small pot, heat a small amount of water to a simmer and then turn off.
In a small stainless steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar and seasoning.
Place the bowl onto the second pot with the water - making sure that the water level is low enough that the bowl does not touch the water - and continue to whisk the contents, letting the steam from the water warm it up.
Begin to drizzle the melted butter into the bowl *VERY SLOWLY*, just a drop or two at a time, whisking continuously to incorporate the butter.
Very gradually whisk the butter into the mix. Once around half the butter has been added, you can pour a little bit faster but continue to go slow and gradual.
Once all the butter has been incorporated, you have Hollandaise sauce. Leave it on top of the water pot and stir occasionally to keep it from solidifying until you are ready to use it.

Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

Instructions