Classic Hollandaise Sauce
Updated May 30, 2024
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:About ¾ cup
- ½pound butter
- 2egg yolks
- 1tablespoon water
- Salt to taste, if desired
- ⅛teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1tablespoon freshly squeezed
- lemon juice to taste
Preparation
- Step 1
Put the butter inside a heatproof bowl or glass measuring cup and set it in a basin of simmering water. Let it heat until the butter is melted.
- Step 2
Carefully spoon off the white residue on top of the clear yellow liquid in the center. Carefully pour off and reserve the yellow liquid. Discard the milky bottom portion.
- Step 3
Combine the egg yolks and water, beating rapidly with a wire whisk. Place the saucepan in a larger basin of simmering water, beating constantly. Gradually add the clear yellow liquid, beating constantly while heating the mixture in the simmering water. Do not overheat. Beat and heat until the sauce has the consistency of a thin mayonnaise.
- Step 4
Add the salt, cayenne pepper and lemon juice and blend thoroughly.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Donovan
Easiest method of making Hollandaise sauce is by microwave. Simply cut 1/4th lb of butter into 4 equal pieces and place in a 2 cup glass or plastic measuring cup or similar dish and add 3 egg yolks. Stir to blend the yolks and microwave for 1 minute stirring with a fork every 15 seconds or until the sauce is blended and thick. Add 2 T lemon juice and other seasonings to taste and you've got perfect Hollandaise.
Tholzel
The easy method we use:Heat a blender jar with hot water. Add one egg yoke per serving to the blender along with a solid squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of salt. Melt butter in a pan and remove the white from the top (if desired). Turn on the blender and slowly pour in the very hot butter while it is stirring. Voila-- instant Hollandaise!
Nate
Ignore the recipe. Here’s the right one: 1/4 cup butter 2 egg yolks Juice of one half lemon Low heat Stir constantly
meg
CAUTION: if the lemon juice you add in the last step is at all cold (or even room temp!) the entire sauce will break.
Nathan Zalman
Yes, but 8 oz of butter renders down to about 6 ounces once you remove the milk solids and the milky stuff as specified in the first step. That's the right amount for two yolks.
Dave
"Place the saucepan in a larger basin of simmering water." What saucepan? Were the egg yolks and water supposed to be combined in a saucepan?
Bobot22947
Not clear if the yolks are added into un-melted butter, then nuke both? Or melt the butter then add in the egg?
Debbie Leonard
This seems like a lot of butter; my Julia Child cookbook says that one egg yolk can absorb only 3 ounces of butter.
susan
This recipe does work exactly as it is written. there are several steps, and you have to follow all of them, and it’s beautiful and delicious if you follow all the steps.
Marguerite
I have neither blender nor microwave (as suggested by some) so I made it the old-fashioned way on the stove. Both this recipe and Julia Child’s yield a sauce more fluid than what you find in a restaurant on your eggs Benedict. It’s perfection with for lightly coating poached salmon —or eggs Benedict for that matter.
Diana
I have made this recipe before, and love it. 2 points: (i) "Place the saucepan in a larger basin...." (refers to a bain marie, a small-ish double boiler). Bain maries make melting chocolate and sauces with eggs very easy. (ii) always make sure you do not get any water in the upper bowl of the bain marie, and make sure the simmering water of the pan is not in direct contact with the bottom of the upper bowl. This is critical to ensure the eggs or custards do not curdle, overcook, or "seize".
Toni
The ratio of butter : egg yolk in this recipe is wrong. Another commenter already said something like this, but you only need 1/4 lb or 1 stick butter for 2 egg yolks. The sauce will break more easily with this recipe's ratio. Also, I don't understand the addition of water. I beat the lemon juice into the egg yolk(s) before heating.
Lisa vS
nah - not enough lemon and eggs. use the joy of cooking recipe instead
Name
wish egg and H2O in doubler boiler top pan; Make sure egg doesn’t cook so let water in saucepan cool down (used to melt butter, glass measuring cup on raised strainer) and simmer slowly or not even simmer; let lemon juice warm up so it doesn’t break up sauce
Jay T
This might be perfect for a fairly formal occasion, but it seems unnecessarily fussy for an easy brunch. I followed Nate's advice and went with 4 tablespoons of butter (I used salted), 2 eggs yolks and juice of half a lemon. Low-medium heat, whisk vigorously. Was absolutely perfect for my brunch-for-one consisting of two poached eggs on toast. Thanks Nate!
way to much butter
The butter over powers the lemon and egg. As well you do not get the velvety smoothness at the end. Use half as much butter.
Deb
This recipe is just fine. However, The Joy of Cooking, from 1931-1981 (and perhaps subsequent editions), provides a Blender Hollandaise recipe that has served my family well for decades. It’s much less involved, very easy and produces excellent, consistent results. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed
Marcia
Lotsa foolproof shortcuts here, but I was fooled. My butter exploded in the microwave. I won't be fooled again.
Carly
Could ghee be better and avoid clarifying?
susan
This recipe does work exactly as it is written. there are several steps, and you have to follow all of them, and it’s beautiful and delicious if you follow all the steps.
PeterMike
I’m wondering if this will work with ghee. The Milk solids already cleared..,gonna try it
Zed Officious
What I'm looking for in a technique-based recipe such as a mother sauce are good descriptions of the classic techniques. But then many in the comments suggest all the personal shortcuts they've come up with (as if I'm going to waste a handful of eggs or other fresh food product attempting their version). Personally, I hope if recipes such as Hollondaise or Eggs Benedict are represented, that there is at least one traditional recipe available alongside all the shortcutty versions.
Marguerite
I have neither blender nor microwave (as suggested by some) so I made it the old-fashioned way on the stove. Both this recipe and Julia Child’s yield a sauce more fluid than what you find in a restaurant on your eggs Benedict. It’s perfection with for lightly coating poached salmon —or eggs Benedict for that matter.
meg
CAUTION: if the lemon juice you add in the last step is at all cold (or even room temp!) the entire sauce will break.
Jeffrey Dvorkin
Microwaving didn’t work for me. It just made scrambled egg yolks in butter.
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