Here we are. The mountaintop. For this final installment of the "Sauce Guide", we tackle the bane of apprentice cooks, but also the greatest pride of those who master it: Hollandaise Sauce .
This is the only sauce in our series that doesn't rely on a roux, but on a hot emulsion . It's pure chemistry, gastronomic virtuosity.
If there's one sauce that divides amateurs from chefs, it's this one. Hollandaise is a living sauce. It's capricious, delicate, but utterly delicious. Imagine a warm glaze, light as a cloud and rich as melted butter, with a touch of acidity that awakens the palate.
It is the queen of brunches (the famous Eggs Benedict) and the eternal companion of royal asparagus.
History: A Sauce of War?
It was formerly called "Sauce Isigny" (named after the famous Norman butter). It is said to have taken the name "Hollandaise" during the First World War, because French butter production had collapsed and butter was then imported from Holland.
Escoffier enshrined it as the fifth mother sauce because it introduced a fundamental technique: unstable emulsion . Unlike mayonnaise, which is cold, Hollandaise is prepared in a bain-marie. It's a delicate balance between the heat needed to thicken the egg without turning it into an omelet.
The Science of Taste: The Secret of Sabayon
The Hollandaise is the forced marriage of water (contained in egg yolks and lemon) and fat (butter).
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Gentle Coagulation: By whisking egg yolks with a little water or reduction in a bain-marie, a "sabayon" is created. The aim is to reach approximately 65°C. At this temperature, the egg proteins expand and trap air bubbles.
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Clarified Butter: For maximum stability, chefs use clarified butter (melted butter from which the whey has been removed). This results in a purer sauce that holds its shape better over heat.
The JustCookEat Technique: Step by Step
Ingredients (for 4 people):
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3 ultra-fresh egg yolks .
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200g of butter (preferably clarified).
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1 tablespoon of cold water .
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The juice of half a lemon.
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A pinch of salt and Espelette pepper.
The "Zero Stress" method:
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Sabayon: In a saucepan (or a double boiler for added safety), whisk together the egg yolks and water. The heat should be very low. Whisk vigorously in a figure-eight motion until the mixture triples in volume and becomes creamy. Note: The figure-eight technique can take some practice to master; to begin, you can simply make lines from one side of the saucepan to the other as quickly as possible. The goal is to incorporate as much air as possible into the sauce so that it emulsifies properly.
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Incorporation: Remove from heat. Pour in the melted butter (warm, not hot!) in a very thin stream, while continuing to whisk vigorously as if making mayonnaise.
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Seasoning: Add the lemon juice, salt and chili at the end.
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Storage: Hollandaise sauce should not be reheated. Keep it warm in a thermos or near a gentle heat source (no more than 45°C) until serving, preferably with double layer of cling film placed directly on the sauce.
The Family Tree: 10 Sauces Descended from Hollandaise
Once you master this emulsion, a world of flavors opens up to you:
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Béarnaise sauce: The most famous. The lemon is replaced with a reduction of vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and chervil. The perfect partner for steak.
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Mousseline (or Chantilly) Sauce: A hollandaise sauce into which whipped cream is incorporated just before serving. Absolutely light.
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Choron sauce: A Béarnaise sauce with a little tomato paste added. Sublime with red meats.
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Foyot sauce: A Béarnaise enriched with "meat glaze" (very reduced meat juice).
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Maltese Sauce: A hollandaise sauce where the lemon juice is replaced with blood orange juice and zest. The perfect pairing with asparagus.
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Mikado sauce: A hollandaise sauce flavored with reduced mandarin juice.
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Hazelnut Sauce: We use brown butter (butter cooked until it smells like biscuits) to make the sauce.
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Sauce Paloise: A Béarnaise sauce where tarragon is replaced by fresh mint. Ideal for lamb.
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Tyrolean sauce: An emulsion base made with oil (like mayonnaise) but finished like a Béarnaise sauce.
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Rubens sauce: A Hollandaise sauce flavored with reduced fish stock and anchovy essence.
The Chief's Council
Has your sauce curdled (the butter separated)? Don't panic, it's all part of the learning process! Take a new container, add a tablespoon of ice water (or an ice cube), and slowly pour your failed sauce into it, whisking vigorously. The thermal shock and the water will recreate the emulsion.
Note: Keep in mind that a Dutch basic stroke isn't necessarily physically difficult; the entire movement is controlled by the wrist, with the arm barely moving. With practice, you'll be able to do it consistently!
Up for the challenge? Test your new reflexes with our Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict - Coming soon to just-cook-eat.com!
Congratulations! You've just completed Escoffier's 5 pillars. You now have the basics to cook like a chef on just-cook-eat.com.
