There are few sauces as tasty as homemade Hollandaise. Whether you prefer to drizzle it on top of grilled veggies or smother it on a few poached eggs for a restaurant-style Benedict, the classic French sauce is a winner at any dinner-table spread. However the sauce owes it’s creamy, melt-in-your-mouth taste to a tricky technique: emulsification.
How to Emulsify Ingredients
Baffled by emulsion? You’re not alone. Even seasoned cooks stumble with this step. By definition, emulsification means mixing together two ingredients that don’t like to be mixed. (Think: water and oil.) A traditional Hollandaise sauce recipe typically calls for just that. Ingredients like butter, water and lemon juice need to be mixed together so rapidly that the fat (butter) breaks up into tiny droplets that incorporate evenly into the liquid (lemon juice and water).
So, how do you work with ingredients that don’t play nice together? The traditional way is to whisk the ingredients together quickly on a double boiler. (See step 1 in this Quick Hollandaise Sauce Recipe.) Luckily, you can save yourself some elbow grease because we’ve found an easier method. Follow along as we guide you through our easiest ever recipe for hollandaise.
How to Make Easy Hollandaise Sauce
You’ll Need:
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 cup butter, melted
Tools:
Immersion blender (Yep—the trusty immersion blender strikes again! Learn its many uses, here.)
Step One: Combine Ingredients
Combine together the eggs, water, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small glass jar. A mason jar works perfectly.
Step Two: Heat the Butter
Pop the butter into a small sauce pan and heat it on the stovetop until it simmers. Once hot, transfer to a large, easy-to-pour measuring cup.
Step Three: Blend, Blend, Blend!
Insert your immersion blender into the glass jar and begin mixing. While the blender works its magic, gradually add the hot butter into the mix.
Pro tip: Be careful to not add the butter too quick, as this could cause the sauce to break.
Step Four: Enjoy
Voila! Your creamy, dreamy Hollandaise should be emulsified to perfection. The sauce should be perfect to drizzle on almost any dish.
Psst! Want to learn how to poach eggs like a pro for the perfect Benedict? Our Test Kitchen pros break it down step-by-step.
How to Make Healthy Hollandaise Sauce
Though Hollandaise sauce is tasty, it’s certainly not the healthiest choice. Good news! You can give the sauce a healthy update. Our Test Kitchen experts tested found the best way to make healthy Hollandaise sauce was to cut the amount of butter in the recipe by half and add in a milk and flour mixture. Try it with our tasty Makeover Hollandaise Sauce. It features half the calories, fat and cholesterol found in a typical Hollandaise.
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