I’ve got a super easy recipe for you today. Homemade Hollandaise.
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Normally, when one thinks of hollandaise (the sauce on eggs Benedict), easy is not the first word that comes to mind. To make traditional hollandaise, you need to whisk egg yolks with lemon juice until thick. You then place the bowl of yolks over simmering water, and stream in hot butter, whisking all the while. The butter will eventually emulsify with the egg, forming a silky, rich sauce. If the mixture gets too hot, the eggs will scramble, and the sauce will break. If the butter is not hot enough, the sauce will never thicken up. What I’m getting at here, is that the traditional way of making hollandaise is both tedious and prone to failure.
So how do we make this process easier and more foolproof? First, forget the whisk and double boiler. Second, get yourself and immersion blender, and a tall, narrow container. Similar to my recipe for Homemade Olive Mayonnaise, this process uses an immersion blender to emulsify the sauce in a matter of moments. The resulting hollandaise is just as creamy as one made using the traditional method. Without all the hassle of course. Continue reading for the recipe plus a video!
Easy Homemade Hollandaise
Ingredients
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup / 4 oz. butter)
- Special equipment: immersion blender, narrow container, microwave
Instructions
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Place egg yolk, water, lemon juice and pinch of kosher salt in a tall, narrow container that fits snuggly around the head of the immersion blender [this detail is important, so don't skip it!].
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Place butter in a measuring cup (or other container with a pour spout), and warm in the microwave until hot (about 1 minute). I did 3 20-second bursts to keep the butter from popping and sputtering. Timing will depend on your microwave. If you don't have a microwave, you can easily warm the butter up on the stove in a small saucepan.
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Place the immersion blender in the tall, narrow container with the egg yolk, and start blending. With the blender running, slowly stream in the hot butter. The butter will eventually emulsify with the egg yolk, forming a thick, creamy sauce. Season to taste with additional salt.
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Hollandaise will keep for 1 hour at room temperature, and cannot be made in advance.
sippitysup says
Coarse salt is the secret to holding the emulsion, right? GREG
Brandon Matzek says
It definitely helps!
Lynn @ oh-soyummy says
We love eggs Benedict! This sounds awesome because I have all the ingredients and the actual tool! Now to surprise the hubby with a tasty breakfast… Weekend sounds like a good time to try it 😉
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Lynn! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
lynn @ oh-soyummy says
When I made mine, it didn’t get as fluffy as yours so it ended up too buttery tasting and runny (though it thickened up a bit with a little time). I think I will leave this for the restaurants… Home made makes me realize how many calories and fat goes in and I would rather be “blissfully unaware”! I feel the same for bacon and fried things…
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks for the feedback Lynn! While I was recipe testing, I had one batch that came out runny. I realized my butter wasn’t hot enough. That could be the problem here! But hehe yeah, this isn’t a low cal sauce. Definitely something I save for special occasions rather than every day consumption.
Sasha says
Okay – mind sufficiently blown.
Thanks for sharing!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Sasha!
CFrance says
Can this recipe be doubled,or should it be made in two batches?
Brandon Matzek says
Hi! I’d recommend making it in two batches.
Barbara says
This is just brilliant. My husband is obsessed with eggs benedict and I generally shy away from making them because well, the effort! But no excuses anymore.
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Barbara! Yes, definitely give it a try 🙂