Hollandaise Sauce
with
Chris Chmura
Making Hollandaise sauce isn't as difficult as you may think. Check out this simple recipe for creamy Hollandaise sauce.
Transcript: Hollandaise Sauce
Hi. I'm Chris Chmura for About.com Food. Today I'm going to show you how to make Hollandaise sauce.Hollandaise Sauce Basics
Hollandaise sauce has withstood the test of time. Historians traced its first appearance to a cookbook that's nearly 400 years old. And, despite import and export worldwide, the recipe has remained much the same.Grocery stores sell simple sauce packets that are ready in minutes, but as you'll see here, it's just as easy to do it yourself.
Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients
To make Hollandaise sauce, you'll need:- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- dash of cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce
- 2 tablespoons hot water
Warm the Butter
Begin by warming the butter in a saucepan until it's foamy. Medium heat should be enough. It's critical the butter doesn't cook too long. If it browns, you might as well start over.Mix the Ingredients
While the butter is melting, crack the eggs and separate the yolks. In a bowl, either beat or whisk the yolks with salt, lemon juice, and your preferred hot stuff.Continue beating and move back to the stove. Turn to low heat and gradually add your mixture to the warmed butter.
Still stirring, pour in the water a tablespoon or so at a time. This way, the sauce doesn't become too thick. You should get about two thirds of a cup.
A nice, pale yellow color is the objective.
Customize the Hollandaise Sauce
Tinkering with this recipe is simple, as you flavor to your own taste. In fact, that's how ritzy Bernaise sauce came about, as wine, vinegar, tarragon, and shallots are cooked in a Hollandaise base.Serve the Sauce
Although it will keep for 30 minutes, serve Hollandaise sauce as quickly as possible. Pour it atop Eggs Benedict or pool around warm meat. It's an easy way to add a little elegance and history to your main dish.Thanks for watching. For more information, visit us on the Web at food.about.com.