Hollandaise, celebrate, it would be so nice.
Hollandaise sauce might be one of the 5 most delicious things ever invented. Whether you are making Eggs Benedict or just sprucing up some steamed asparagus, its a nice way to impress houseguests.
Just be careful with it, and make it at the last minute.
You need a wire whisk to do the beating here. Don't mess around with a fork.
The recipe has a lot of steps, but it isn't too complicated. It will make a cup of hollandaise.
1. Get two pots of water ready. One should be brought to a boil, the other should be be heated below boiling point and should be able to fit a double boiler.
2. Melt a stick of butter and set it aside. (You might want to use clarified butter, if it is a muggy day. Otherwise, regular old butter works.)
3. Put 1 1/2 Tablespoons of lemon juice in a tiny nesting bowl, and set that aside.
4. Put 3 egg YOLKS in the double boiler over the hot water. The water should not be boiling and the double boiler should not be touching the hot water.
5. Beat those yolks until they thicken a bit.
6. Remember that boiling water? Grab a Tablespoon of it and dump it in your eggs.
7. Beat those yolks until they thicken a bit.
8. Add another tablespoon of the boiling water to the yolks.
9. Beat those yolks until they thicken a bit.
10. Add another tablespoon of boiling water to the yolks.
11. Beat those yolks until they thicken a bit.
12. Add another tablespoon of boiling water to the yolks.
13. Beat those yolks until they thicken a bit.
14. Now throw the lemon juice into the yolks and take it off the heat.
15. Keep beating it with the wire whisk while adding the melted stick of butter.
16. Throw in a hint of salt and a tiny bit of cayenne.
17. Keep beating until it is thick, and serve it right away.
There is a cheater way to make hollandaise, but I never tried it, personally. Y'all are welcome to, and tell me how it goes.
a. Get a blender.
b. Drop in 3 egg yolks, 2 Tablespoons of Lemon juice, a touch of salt and a tiny bit of cayenne.
c. Put the lid on it
d. Microwave a stick of butter until it bubbles.
e. Blend the stuff in the blender on HIGH for a few seconds.
f. Take the lid off the blender while blending and slowly pour the hot butter over it.
e. When the butter is poured the sauce should be done.
I learned to make mine in the blender - can be made ahead that way too. Mostly in the asparagus context.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand things, the blender version is merely rich instead of super-rich.
ReplyDeleteIt's also a less pleasant color.
These seem like minor downsides, though.