Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/2" slices

Instructions

1. Combine the egg yolks and lemon juice in a stainless steel bowl or the top of a double boiler.
2. Beat well with a wire whisk until the mixture turns light yellow and doubles in volume.
3. 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.
4. Add the salt and cayenne pepper and whisk well.
5. While you are whisking, add the butter, one piece at a time. Stir constantly as the butter is added.
6. When the piece of butter is completely melted and incorporated into the egg yolks, add another piece.
7. Keep going, adding the butter slowly and waiting until it is absorbed before adding the next piece.
8. When half of the butter has been added, you can add 3 or 4 pieces of butter at once.
9. Keep going, whisking vigorously, until all the butter has been added. The sauce should be doubled in volume.
10. Serve immediately.

Yields 1 cup

Variations and Tips

• 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.
• Serve Hollandaise sauce over steamed vegetables or fish. It is also used to make Eggs Benedict.