Hollandaise Bearnaise Sauce And How To Fix If It Curdles
From jolielives 14 years ago
- 25 minutes to make
- Serves 4
Both my mother & my grandmother had me making this as soon as I was tall enough to sit on a stool & stir. Until all the butter was in & the Magical Sauce was complete. I always got to lick the spoon, which made the fact that my arm felt like it was going to fall off, worth every excruciating minute, until the spoon was mine, all mine.
Ingredients
- A Double Boiler With the Top Pot made out of Ceramic, not metal shopping list
- 2 egg yolks shopping list
- 1 Stick butter @ Room Temperature shopping list
- Have an extra egg @ Room Temperature for in case Hollandaise Curdles shopping list
- Have a Small Container of heavy cream @ Room Temp shopping list
- If you are using your Hollandaise Sauce for fish, then have 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon Fresh lemon juice without any Pulp or Seeds in it. shopping list
- For Bearnaise Sauce: ! small shallot Finely Diced shopping list
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons tarragon (Dried & Finely Ground) shopping list
- 1/2 Cup red wine shopping list
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter (To Saute shallots before you add red wine) shopping list
- *************************************** shopping list
- Make sure that whatever the Hollandaise Sauce is being made for is ready or nearly ready, as this is not a hardy Sauce. shopping list
- **If you are making this for eggs Benedict (toasted English muffins, Canadian bacon or smoked salmon, (I like a slice of tomato on top of the Bacon or Salmon) & Poached eggs with Hollandaise Sauce poured over the top of each half of English Muffin), the Sauce should be ready when you Poach the eggs for 2 minutes. shopping list
- **Another Yummy: English muffins topped with Steamed spinach or asparagus, smoked salmon with Hollandaise Sauce with Fresh Sliced tomatoes on the side. shopping list
- **For Dinner, the Hollandaise Sauce can cover well drained, steamed asparagus. It can be put in a ramekin dishes for dipping steamed artichoke Leaves & to eat with the cleaned artichoke Heart YUM. shopping list
- **Or a Light (Non Oily) fish, like Flounder, Talapia, Snapper or Fillet of Sole are all delish with Hollandaise Sauce. None of these fish take very long to cook & in my opinion, all have very light flavors, so that Hollandaise is a lovely accompaniment. shopping list
- **See below for Tips on How to keep the Hollandaise Sauce Stable (So it doesn't separate or curdle). shopping list
- Do not cook this with the Ceramic Bowl in the warm water. The Ceramic Bowl can touch the top of the water, but should never be submerged in it. shopping list
- Do not EVER allow the water to Boil. This is one of the ways that your Hollandaise will Curdle. shopping list
- If the Ceramic Bowl gets too hot, take it out of the water, while continuing to stir,. Turn down the Heat under the water & continue to stir the Hollandaise until the Bowl cools down & the water in double Boiler cools down too. shopping list
- TO MAKE HOLLANDAISE SAUCE FOR 8 PEOPLE, JUST DOUBLE THE INGREDIENTS IN THE RECIPE. shopping list
How to make it
- Basically, all Hollandaise is, is Egg Yolks that have been warmed in the Ceramic Top Bowl of your double Boiler. I was taught 3 to 1 to use a Wooden Spoon over a Whisk. The Wooden Spoon stirs, 1 teaspoon at a time , of room temperature butter, into the Egg Yolks. Sounds simple until it curdles on you at the last minute.
- Now a days, everyone knows that the 2 Ingredients in Hollandaise Sauce are your basic causes of Heart Attacks & Clogged Arteries but if eaten in moderation, make the world a better place to live in.
- How To Make
- In a Warmed, over warm water, not boiling water & the Ceramic bowl needs to be just on the surface of the water, put the 2 Egg Yolks in, trying to get No White & stir consistantly & gently.
- This is comparable to a Courting Ritual.
- You want to get the Egg Yolks warm so that they develop the ability to absorb the Butter.
- Cut the Stick of Butter into the same sized pieces, each a teaspoon size & make sure it's Soft.
- As you see the Yolks begin to stick & cook on the upper sides of the Ceramic Bowl, add the 1st teaspoon of Butter.
- Continue to stir,as what you're trying to do is help the Yolks absorb & cook with the Butter.
- You will see it begin to thicken. Add the 2nd teaspoon of Butter & stir. Watch the Water's Temp.
- If the Water is too hot, take the Ceramic Bowl out of the Water, continue to stir & turn the heat down.
- Each addition of Butter should be at least 3 minutes apart. If you add the Butter too quickly, the Sauce will not thicken. To slowly, it will get lumpy & not be Hollandaise.
- When you've added the last piece of Butter, the Hollandaise Sauce should be thick.
- It should be a little thicker than Heavy Cream.
- When it is finished, it must be taken out of the Double boiler's Water & set away from direct heat or cold drafts.
- If making Hollandaise for Veggies, my family just used the Egg Yolks & Butter. If it was to be served over Fish, then we added a little Lemon Juice, making sure that no seeds or pulp went into the Sauce.
- If making as a Sauce for Fillet Mignon, then I make a cheat Bearnaise Sauce with the Hollandaise as the base.
- *I'd finely dice a small or 1/2 Shallot & Saute it in 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Butter.
- *Add 1/2 Cup of Red Wine. I cook it (Reduce it) until the Red Wine reduces in amount & thickens. *Remove it from the heat & allow it to cool.
- *When it is cool enough to taste without burning my tongue, I add 1 teaspoon full at a time of the Red Wine Reduction to the Hollandaise Sauce.
- * Then I add 1 Tablespoon of dried & ground Tarragon (The crushing of dried herbs allows the flavors to open up more quickly).
- *Then, after gently stirring the Sauce, I taste it.
- *If it doesn't have the bite of Bernaise Sauce, I add 1 more teaspoon of the Shallot & Red Wine reduction & stir, then taste.
- *The best way to tell when it's perfect is to slice a piece of the Meat you will be eating & to put a little Sauce on the Meat.
- *Trust your pallet. If it tastes Perfect to you, then it is Perfect.
- **Usually, I add all of the Shallot & Red Wine Reduction & between ! to 2 Tablespoons of dried ground Tarragon.
- **If your Sauce Curdles, never fear, help is here.
- In a new Ceramic dish, put the Room Temp Yolk into the Ceramic Dish & Stir it over the Double Boiler.
- **Add about 1 Tablespoon at a time of the Curdled Hollandaise Sauce, while constantly stirring.
- Continue to add the Curdled Sauce to the New Sauce, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until all Curdled Sauce is in the new Ceramic Bowl.
- **The other great trick is; if the Sauce Separates, Stir in 1 Tablespoon of Heavy Cream & stir.
- **Be aware of the Heat Level from the Water, the Temperature of Ingredients, Constant Stirring & Patience will give you the best Hollandaise Sauce, the most Consistently.
- I made my first Hollandaise Sauce when I was 5 years old. So, if I could do it, so can you.
- Share it with friends you care about & Enjoy:)
The Rating
Reviewed by 6 people-
Good points, Sis! Thanks, and High FIVE! :+D
chefelaine
in Muskoka loved it
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OKAY!!! I will use this for my aspragus with almonds, I was wanting a recipe like this!! Bk'd & sv'd for wed. dinner:) HIGH FIVR FORKS< I GIVE EVERYONE This cuz I appreciate the time they take to type, etc., You are a wonderful bud, appreciate you! J...more
snowcat17
in Milwaukee loved it
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