Easy Hollandaise Sauce is a creamy egg-based sauce with a light, rich flavor. Give this sauce a try; don’t be intimidated by this sauce. I am a home cook and I can master this recipe easily.
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This Hollandaise sauce adds another layer of buttery flavor to your dishes.
Forget the tempering, forget the clarified butter, forget the separated sauce. Find out the easy secret to making this a no-fail Hollandaise sauce recipe. It is a game changer! Make this foolproof scrumptious sauce at home in minutes. I have truly never had this method not work. There is one simple trick. Read on to find out what that is.
Make this amazing sauce for those special occasions, but it is so easy, you will probably find other reasons to make this once you learn the simple trick.
Incorporating the Butter for a Velvety Sauce
The photo below shows incorporating the butter into the velvety and delicious sauce. As you can see, it is not separating. However, you do need to keep the sauce warm until use. I kept mine over a kettle with warm water for about ten minutes while I cooked the eggs. The breakfast turns out perfectly.
The Problems with Traditional Hollandaise Sauce
If you read the recipes for Hollandaise sauce, they generally call for clarified or just melted butter. When I used that method, getting the recipe right was a hit and miss. Often, the recipe would separate on me. Therefore, I did not make the sauce very much because it was too much of a bother to make something that was not a sure thing.
Finding an Easy No-Fail Method
One of my favorite things to watch on T.V. is cooking shows. I watched a partial episode of America’s Test Kitchen and noticed that they were adding softened butter to their sauce; not melted butter or clarified butter.
I decided to give it a try with my Hollandaise Sauce recipe. Worked like a charm every time!
Quick and Easy No-Fail Hollandaise Sauce Goes with So Many Dishes
Give this sauce a try on a variety of dishes – vegetables, eggs, meat, pasta. This sauce is buttery and delicious.
Sauce up your next meal
This Hollandaise sauce can be used for the traditional eggs benedict, over fish, or asparagus. However, try something new by putting it over French fries, baked potatoes, vegetables, or any other ideas you can dream up.
My Fool-Proof Hollandaise Sauce Recipe Secret
Years ago, I had made this sauce and it took 10-15 minutes of whisking and the sauce seemed to be very tricky to get right. The butter would separate and not quite emulsify sometimes. If the heat was not just the right temperature, you might end up with scrambled eggs or a watery sauce.
However, I no longer have any issues at all making this sauce. I still make it by placing a stainless-steel bowl over a pan that has about an inch of boiling water. It takes just minutes and it is truly and easy no-fail method.
I just had to change one thing.
What is the Secret to No-Fail Sauce?
The secret is in the butter.
You see normally this sauce is made with a melted butter or even a clarified butter. This must be emulsified right away, and the butter needs to be very hot or it will cool down too much when mixed with the other ingredients. You can use a blender to make this, but it can still go awry.
Therefore, I do use my double boiler method. The secret is not to melt the butter before adding it.
If the butter is melted before being added to the rest of the ingredients, it has a tendency to separate because it is already in a liquid form. However, add the butter softened and whisk with the other ingredients while it heats up and it emulsifies like magic. And there is no vigorous whisking needed either.
My family loved these Eggs Benedict.
Get the Eggs Benedict recipe here.
Storing and Reheating the No-Fail Hollandaise Sauce
This sauce is best served fresh; however, leftovers can be sored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for a few days.
There are a few options for reheating.
The first is the Stove Top. Just pour the sauce in a pan and reheat over low heat. This is probably my least favorite because it can burn really easy and overcook the eggs.
Second is the Stove Top, but this time using a double boiler. A double boiler is just like when it was first made (Use a double boiler or place a bowl over a saucepan with about 1 inch of water in the bottom simmering to do the cooking). Much less chance of burning.
Third is the Microwave. Place the sauce in a microwaveable bowl and heat in 15-20 second intervals. Stir between heating sessions. Repeat this process until your sauce is heated through. This process will help reduce the chance of the eggs overcooking.
Easy Hollandaise Sauce
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 4 Egg Yolks
- 1 Stick butter Softened
- 1/3 Cup Boiling Water
- 1 Tsp. Lemon Juice
- Dash Cayenne Pepper optional-sometimes I just add a dash of regular black pepper.
text ingredients
Instructions
- Use a double boiler or place a bowl over a saucepan with about 1 inch of water in the bottom simmering to do the cooking.
- Break the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Once separated, whisk the egg yolks slightly.
- Add the whisked eggs, and softened butter to the bowl over the simmering water and whisk until the butter has almost all melted. Add the 1/3 cup of boiling water. (I just heated my water in the microwave for a minute).
- Keep whisking the egg mixture and cook until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F. As the mixture continues to cook, the eggs will become frothy and increase in volume, and then thicken.
- When you can see the pan bottom through the streaks of the whisk and the eggs are thick and smooth, remove from the heat and add your seasonings. Such as, lemon, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, or a variety of other seasonings.
- If not using right away, keep in a warm spot until ready to use. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a few drops of warm water whisked in before serving.
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.
Mary
Thursday 28th of April 2022
Haven't tried it yet but seems very do-able.
patternprincess1
Saturday 30th of April 2022
Hi Mary, This is a simple recipe with delicious results. I hope you give it a try. Vicky
Kathy
Sunday 4th of April 2021
Can you use margarine instead of butter? If you have to use butter, is there a best kind?
patternprincess1
Tuesday 6th of April 2021
Hi, I would use butter rather than margarine. I like to use Grade A butter; however, I do not have a particular brand of butter otherwise that I recommend. If you look for the Grade A seal on the butter, you should have this Hollandaise Sauce recipe turn out creamy, rich, and delicious. Vicky
Rona
Wednesday 1st of January 2020
Best sauce ever. Love the light taste of it, not a heavy sauce at all. Thanks for recipe
patternprincess1
Wednesday 1st of January 2020
So glad you like this sauce too. So easy and delicious. thanks for commenting and letting me know.