Hollandaise Sauce is such a lovely finish to so many different foods.
But as in making mayonnaise, it could go wrong fast if you don't know what you're doing.
Last night I made hollandaise sauce as a topping to asparagus, typically a delightful combination.
The plan was to drizzle the hollandaise sauce across the middle of the asparagus, the way they do in restaurants.
After all, presentation is part of the fun.
I Cheated and Paid the Price
I thought I was being so clever using a blender. But cheaters never win.
You see, just like in making mayonnaise, the egg yolks don't mix well with one of the other ingredients - in this case, the melted butter.
So I plopped the yolks into the blender, turned in to it's lowest speed and dripped in the melted butter from the top portal of the blender lid.
This is usually a fail proof way of making hollandaise sauce, but the problem is that you lose control.
Instead of being able to determine the thickness of the concoction based on the feel as you whip the sauce equipped with nothing else but a wire whisk and your own throbbing hand, you're sort of forced to deal with whatever the result is in the blender.
Sometimes you don't know what that is, until you've spooned it out of the blender. By that time, you may find that it is too fluffy because it was mixed too quickly.
Pain is Good
After making mayonnaise many times until I felt I had it right, I realise there is something delightfully artistic about doing things without the help of electrical appliances.
That is not to say that you shouldn't get help when you can, because these things are meant to make it easier and less time consuming to cook or bake something to perfection.
Still, in making hollandaise sauce, it is important to remember that the danger of curdling - though scary - is not a total disaster.
My friend once grimaced as she showed me her bowl of curdled mayonnaise. But due to her more than ample amount of competitiveness, she decided to 'never say die'. She whipped and whipped and whipped that mayo back into shape.
Gloppiness is Bad
My hollandaise sauce came out gloppy last night. I had blended it so much that it had thickened really fast.
Hollandaise sauce should be easy to pour and have the consistency of buttermilk or creme, but not so thick that it doesn't pour at all.
So my advice as you follow the below recipe, is to use a wire whisk rather than a blender.
Your hand muscle and wrist will throb like no one's business, but you'll have a better sauce in the end because you'll be able to tell right off whether it needs a bit more lemon juice or another pinch of salt.
Recipe
4 ounces of butter (that's one half block for Brits or 2 sticks for Americans)
3 egg yolks
1 or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Put three egg yolks in a small mixing bowl. (For those of you, who need a good method for separating eggs, see my previous blog on making mayonnaise). Have all your ingredients at hand, so that as you add you won't have to stop whisking.
Cut up the butter into a few similar sized pieces and melt in a pan. Don't put the heat to high, because you don't want the butter to start turning brown - melt it slowly. Put the warm melted butter into something you can pour.
Start blending the eggs with the whisk and slowly add a bit of lemon juice. But keep that wrist moving as you add in drips of the melted butter. A little at a time will ensure that the yolk will mix with the butter and not curdle.
When the last of the butter is fully blended in, add a little more lemon juice. From this point on, you're really using your personal judgment. Is the mixture too thick? Does it need a bit more lemon juice. Is it too thin? If it is, you should keep whisking until it thickens. Does it need a pinch of salt or pepper? If so, drop some in but sparingly to be sure that you're not over seasoning.
You get the picture. Once completed, it goes great on asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, eggs and many different types of fish. Try to use it right after it's made. It's always best to eat it fresh, since you can't refrigerate. The butter will harden again and if you try to heat it, you'll basically scramble the eggs. So make it just before using it.
Happy eating!
I will try:)
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