Hollandaise sauce is one of the classic butter sauces and is traditionally served with asparagus. But the sauce with its fine acidity doesn’t just go perfectly with asparagus. It is also an ideal accompaniment to other vegetables, but also to fish and meat.
A hollandaise sauce lasts an entire evening if it is not kept too hot. The secret of making the sauce is the right temperature during preparation. The lecithin contained in the egg yolk should serve as an emulsifier. However, the egg must not get too hot, otherwise it will curdle.
The perfect temperature for preparation is between 70 and 75°C.
Some basic rules :
- No lemon in the approach, but a reduction of white wine that has been reduced with aromatics such as shallots, bay leaves, juniper and peppercorns. Lemon is used to taste.
- Salt already in the mixture, this helps the egg yolk in its function as an emulsifier
- Beat with a whisk over a hot water bath and tie into a rose
- Only now add liquid clarified butter (clarified butter) only in small doses, no longer beat but only stir. Only add more fat when no more visible fat streaks can be seen
Material needed :
- pot of hot water
- mixing bowl
- whisk
- sieve or cloth
Ingredients for 500 ml sauce :
- 8 egg yolks
- 50 ml white wine reduction (from 150ml white wine, 20g shallot, 3 juniper berries, 1 clove, 1/4 bay leaf)
- 500g clarified butter
- juice of half a lemon
- Salt, ground white pepper or cayenne
Procedure :
- Beat the reduction together with the egg yolks and a pinch of salt in a water bath until a creamy, stable foam forms
- Stir in the warm clarified butter in small doses, waiting until no more streaks of fat are visible
- Make sure that the temperature remains as constant as possible, so take it off the water bath and put it back on again
- Stir in all the clarified butter. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper
- Pour through a sieve
An additional highlight : if the hollandaise sauce is seasoned a little stronger, it can be poured into a cream siphon and given additional volume.
Use:
The Hollandaise sauce is traditionally served with white asparagus , but it also goes very well with fish and mussel dishes. It is also suitable for au gratin, as with the oysters au gratin , and its acidity supports the fine aroma of the mussel.
