Hollandaise Sauce: The Making Of . . . .
Discussion
Digger said:
Going to try this for the first time today or tomorrow for an attempt at eggs benedict!
As far as the butter is concerned, does it make much of a difference, and is it necessary to clarify the butter ie skimming and draining the fat separate from the milky constituent?
I never do - and I never follow the "approved" process and mine always seems to turn out OK. As far as the butter is concerned, does it make much of a difference, and is it necessary to clarify the butter ie skimming and draining the fat separate from the milky constituent?
I have a weird hatred of Delia Smith...however, have a look at her quick version of hollandaise sauce...so simple and works every time. And less washing up too!!!
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/europea...
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/europea...
No need to complicate things.
1. Mix egg yolk/vinegar/lemon juice/Dijon mustard in a round bottomed bowl (I find it easier in round bottomed then flat). Mix a bit.
2. Melt butter and trickle/drip feed in as you whisk. Unless you are used to whisking by hand you will kill yourself whisking manually, so use a small food processor or electric whisk.
Delicious
Edit: More butter makes it thicker. Also I personally wouldn't go down Delia's route and make it foamy, Hollandaise/Bearnaise should for me be thick, creamy and very importantly plentiful!
1. Mix egg yolk/vinegar/lemon juice/Dijon mustard in a round bottomed bowl (I find it easier in round bottomed then flat). Mix a bit.
2. Melt butter and trickle/drip feed in as you whisk. Unless you are used to whisking by hand you will kill yourself whisking manually, so use a small food processor or electric whisk.
Delicious
Edit: More butter makes it thicker. Also I personally wouldn't go down Delia's route and make it foamy, Hollandaise/Bearnaise should for me be thick, creamy and very importantly plentiful!
Edited by fredt on Tuesday 19th January 12:53
Waitrose is your friend.
Small chilled plastic tub near the fresh fish. Nice crust of solidified butter on top.
Microwave for 45 seconds, then stir to incorporate. Then microwave for 20sec at a time until up to temp and fully incorporated.
As good as any I've had in restaurants. Infinitely better than the long life crap in a glass jar.
Small chilled plastic tub near the fresh fish. Nice crust of solidified butter on top.
Microwave for 45 seconds, then stir to incorporate. Then microwave for 20sec at a time until up to temp and fully incorporated.
As good as any I've had in restaurants. Infinitely better than the long life crap in a glass jar.
I always make my own hollandaise and bearnaise sauce using the traditional method. Clarify the butter - I always use high quality french butter. Whisk the yolks with a little cold water over the heat till they start to thicken, slowly pour in the clarified butter and continue to whisk (i take off the hot water at this point). Then mix in the vinegar reduction and lemon juice, season with Cayenne pepper and salt.
Buggered up a few early on but got it down now.
Two tips I have found:
1. Make loads, its much harder to make a small amount
2. Make sure everything is roughly the same temperature. i.e. not eggs straight from the fridge and let the butter cool slightly before using.
Buggered up a few early on but got it down now.
Two tips I have found:
1. Make loads, its much harder to make a small amount
2. Make sure everything is roughly the same temperature. i.e. not eggs straight from the fridge and let the butter cool slightly before using.
Greg66 said:
Waitrose is your friend.
Small chilled plastic tub near the fresh fish. Nice crust of solidified butter on top.
Microwave for 45 seconds, then stir to incorporate. Then microwave for 20sec at a time until up to temp and fully incorporated.
As good as any I've had in restaurants. Infinitely better than the long life crap in a glass jar.
Whilst I did indeed stop off at Waitrose earlier for the eggs and butter, my built-in combi oven is certainly not my friend. . . the microwave bit is kaput! Small chilled plastic tub near the fresh fish. Nice crust of solidified butter on top.
Microwave for 45 seconds, then stir to incorporate. Then microwave for 20sec at a time until up to temp and fully incorporated.
As good as any I've had in restaurants. Infinitely better than the long life crap in a glass jar.
Digger said:
Whilst I did indeed stop off at Waitrose earlier for the eggs and butter, my built-in combi oven is certainly not my friend. . . the microwave bit is kaput!
Ah, well that is a problem! You can heat the Waitrose sauce in a pan, but the microwave instructions are a sure fire way to get from fridge to perfect hollandaise in the time it takes to heat a pan of water, poach an egg, grill lightly some prosciutto and toast a muffin. Guaranteed!Eta: being something of a heathen, I have now moved on to Eggs Royale (or Pacific, as I found they are called in BC) with thinly sliced ripe avocado between the salmon and the egg. Om nomnom...
Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 19th January 22:23
Fairly happy with my first attempt except slightly too runny, so will try with extra butter next time. Also slightly bland so will also concoct a vinegar/wine/onion reduction as well.
This is perhaps my favourite video I've seen so far, although I now have a hankering to get an n2o siphon!
http://youtu.be/jHOhYkwDSAY
This is perhaps my favourite video I've seen so far, although I now have a hankering to get an n2o siphon!
http://youtu.be/jHOhYkwDSAY
Edited by Digger on Friday 22 January 08:30
I have a pan, stirrer and heater combination made by Tefal that I bought about 25 years ago. It's designed to make Hollandaise and similar sauces. A bit like this one
http://www.amazon.co.uk/electronic-Tefal-Saucier-s...
It's brilliant, and making a proper Hollandaise requires very little effort if you use this.
2 points:
you need to use a reduction to get the base flavour - I use Delia's, and also lemon juice and salt.
If the sauce is too thin, you need to "cook" it for longer. With the Tefal gadget this is a doddle, but at this stage you could overcook it and it would curdle.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/electronic-Tefal-Saucier-s...
It's brilliant, and making a proper Hollandaise requires very little effort if you use this.
2 points:
you need to use a reduction to get the base flavour - I use Delia's, and also lemon juice and salt.
If the sauce is too thin, you need to "cook" it for longer. With the Tefal gadget this is a doddle, but at this stage you could overcook it and it would curdle.
Made the wife eggs Benedict for Mother's day. I follow Gordon Ramsay's method for making the hollandaise which is fairly traditional. I have had no problems with it splitting since using his way. I find using really good butter makes a difference. I use beurre d'isigny
Its such a faff making it though. I could eat everyday if it wasn't such a ballache. I guess making a batch and keeping it isn't going to work?
This and bearnaise sauce.
Its like freebasing with butter and egg yolk
Its such a faff making it though. I could eat everyday if it wasn't such a ballache. I guess making a batch and keeping it isn't going to work?
This and bearnaise sauce.
Its like freebasing with butter and egg yolkPro version: 2 eggs to half a block of butter, 3 eggs to a full block.
Melt butter in saucepan. NOT microwave.
Put egg yolks in a measuring jug, glass preferably. Add a dash of lemon juice and salt.
Stick blender.
Pour melted butter down stick of blender incredibly slowly, lifting the blender up and down (a mashing potato motion I guess)
You can speed up the pouring as you get towards the bottom of the pan (but preferably don't add the solids)
Stir. Taste. Add more salt and lemon to taste and a splash of water if it's too thick.
I've used this for years, it's really quick and simple. If it splits add a tiny splash of water and blend like f
k; you might be able to rescue it. This blend will thicken on standing (in a restaurant kitchen perhaps...) so just add water when you need to serve if you make in advance. Pop some cling film over the surface and it won't form a skin.
Melt butter in saucepan. NOT microwave.
Put egg yolks in a measuring jug, glass preferably. Add a dash of lemon juice and salt.
Stick blender.
Pour melted butter down stick of blender incredibly slowly, lifting the blender up and down (a mashing potato motion I guess)
You can speed up the pouring as you get towards the bottom of the pan (but preferably don't add the solids)
Stir. Taste. Add more salt and lemon to taste and a splash of water if it's too thick.
I've used this for years, it's really quick and simple. If it splits add a tiny splash of water and blend like f
k; you might be able to rescue it. This blend will thicken on standing (in a restaurant kitchen perhaps...) so just add water when you need to serve if you make in advance. Pop some cling film over the surface and it won't form a skin. Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff