Hollandaise

Hollandaise is a pale, rich sauce made by whisking egg yolks with a little water and acid, then incorporating warm butter until the mixture becomes thick and glossy. Lemon juice is now the usual acid, although vinegar or a reduction of vinegar, water and peppercorns may be used. It is served warm rather than piping hot, since excessive heat makes the emulsion split or turns the yolks into scrambled egg.

The sauce is associated with French haute cuisine, despite its name meaning “Dutch sauce”. Its precise origin is disputed. Similar egg-and-butter sauces appear in early modern European cookery, and the modern name was established in French culinary writing by the nineteenth century. Hollandaise later became one of the sauces associated with Auguste Escoffier and the classical French system. It is not a gravy, though both may arrive in a boat and both can rescue a rather uninteresting plate.

History and origins¶

The name suggests a Dutch origin, but the evidence is less tidy than the label. French cooks used the name sauce hollandaise for a sauce based on butter and egg yolks, while earlier recipes for related preparations used different names and proportions. Some accounts connect the sauce with Dutch butter or Dutch visitors to France; these explanations are plausible but not securely established.

A recipe resembling hollandaise is often associated with François Pierre de La Varenne's Le Cuisinier François, published in 1651, although historical recipes under similar names do not always match the modern sauce. In older versions, vinegar, stock, herbs and spices could be more prominent, and the mixture might be closer to a butter liaison than to the smooth lemon-scented emulsion served today.

By the nineteenth century, hollandaise had become recognisable as a French sauce of egg yolks, butter and an acidic reduction. Its reputation was strengthened by the codification of French cookery and the work of Auguste Escoffier, who placed warm emulsified sauces within the classical repertoire. Modern restaurant versions often derive from this tradition rather than from any single discoverable Dutch recipe.

What makes it different¶

Hollandaise is an emulsion: tiny droplets of butter are dispersed through a water-based phase supplied by the egg yolks, lemon juice and added water. The yolks contain emulsifying compounds that help hold the mixture together. The same broad principle is discussed in Emulsification in gravy, although gravy usually relies on starch, gelatin or both rather than egg yolk.

A gravy can be thickened by a roux, as explained in Why flour thickens liquid, or by reducing stock until its dissolved proteins and gelatin become concentrated. Hollandaise obtains its body principally from dispersed butter and yolk. It therefore has a softer, more coating texture and a lower tolerance for reheating.

Classic recipe¶

Makes about 250ml · 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tbsp water
• 150g unsalted butter, clarified or melted and kept warm
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste
• A pinch of salt
• Cayenne or white pepper, optional

Method

1. Melt the butter gently. For a particularly smooth sauce, pour off the clear butter and leave the milky solids behind; ordinary melted butter also works, but is slightly less stable.
2. Put the yolks, water and half the lemon juice in a heatproof bowl. Whisk over a pan of barely simmering water until the mixture becomes pale, foamy and thick enough to leave a brief trail. The bowl must not touch the water.
3. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the warm butter drop by drop, whisking continuously. Once the sauce begins to thicken, the butter can be added in a thin stream.
4. Whisk in the remaining lemon juice, salt and, if wanted, a small pinch of cayenne. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with a teaspoon of warm water.
5. Keep it warm for no more than about 30 minutes, ideally at 45–55°C. Do not allow it to boil.

The approximate ratio is one yolk to 50g butter, although the practical amount depends on yolk size, butter temperature and the final acidity. A tablespoon of water gives the yolks room to expand before the butter is added and helps prevent a heavy, greasy texture.

Variations and derivatives¶

A reduction of white-wine vinegar, water, shallot and peppercorns gives the sauce a sharper, more classical flavour. When this reduction includes tarragon and chervil, the result approaches béarnaise sauce, although that page is not part of the present catalogue. Orange juice can replace some of the lemon in a maltaise-style version, while mustard, herbs or a little smoked paprika produce modern variations rather than separate classical sauces.

The sauce is commonly served with asparagus, poached fish, grilled salmon, eggs Benedict and eggs Florentine. It also works with new potatoes and lightly cooked green vegetables, where its butteriness is balanced by bitterness or acidity. It is less suitable for long holding, vigorous reheating or dishes that already contain substantial fat.

Troubleshooting¶

If the sauce is thin, continue whisking gently over the warm water for a short time; the yolks may not have thickened sufficiently before the butter was added. If it is too thick, whisk in warm water a teaspoon at a time. If it has split, place a fresh yolk in a clean bowl and whisk the broken sauce into it gradually, as though adding the butter for the first time.

Cold butter added too quickly, overheated yolks and insufficient whisking are the usual causes of failure. Unlike Jus or Pan gravy, hollandaise cannot simply be reduced to correct its texture. Its success depends on maintaining a narrow balance between heat, water and fat.