Simple Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

A creamy, rich sauce with a tang of lemon, hollandaise sauce is the ideal partner for steamed asparagus and eggs benedict. It is also great with grilled and poached fish, especially salmon.

Emulsified sauces using egg yolks have gathered themselves a frightening reputation with home cooks, for being difficult and curdling or separating, but hollandaise is really quick and easy to make if you follow the first recipe here and use a blender. If you prefer the classic method with double boiler, directions for that are also below.

Hollandaise sauce should be served warm and made just before you need it, though it can be kept in the fridge for up to two days. It is usually served plain, with just the tang of lemon lifting the richness, but you can add some chopped fresh herbs or even a dash of mustard or Tabasco if you like to experiment and enliven the classics.

Recipe for Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients
175g / 6oz unsalted butter
3 tablespoons water
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more to taste)
salt and pepper

In a blender, process the egg yolks, water, lemon juice and salt and pepper for ten seconds at the lowest speed.

Melt the butter.

With the blender running on a high speed, pour the hot butter in a slow and steady stream onto the mixture, until it emulsifies and becomes thick and creamy.

If you are not serving the hollandaise immediately, keep it warm for up to 30 minutes by sitting the container in a pan of hot water.

Traditional Method for Hollandaise Sauce

This method uses a double boiler or a bowl set over a pan of simmering water without the water touching the bottom of the bowl. The ingredients are the same as for the blender method.

Melt the butter and leave to cool slightly.

Bring the water in the double boiler or pan to a steady simmer. Put the egg yolks, water and half the lemon juice in the bowl or top of the double boiler. Whisk over the heat until the eggs start to thicken (about 3 minutes).

Add a little melted butter at a time and keep whisking.

When all the butter has been added and the sauce has thickened, add the last of the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Feel like eating out instead of making hollandaise sauce? Why not try Le Mistral restaurant in Sherwood, Nottingham.