easy hollandaise

I'm not sure why hollandaise got its bad rap as being a touchy and difficult sauce that curdles and breaks and won't hold long.  Because none of it has to be true.  For instance, the most hazardous task is thickening the egg yolks over heat, which invites scrambled eggs in a heartbeat.  Then there is the tedious task of whisking melted butter into the thickened yolks a few drops at a time.  All unnecessary poppycock.  A double boiler isn't even necessary, though I like to use a pyrex bowl set over simmering water, because it does reduce the risk of curdling, and it is easy to keep the eggs moving in a mixing bowl with a whisk.  Two egg yolks and three tablespoons of butter make enough hollandaise for two to three people.  Just cut the butter up a bit, and dump the egg yolks, the butter, the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of salt and a little cayenne right in the bowl, and set it over the simmering water. the chill of the butter and the addition of the lemon juice easily regulate the temperature of the egg yolks, and ward off the dreaded curdled eggs.

hollandaise done the easy way

Now, you do have to pay attention, for about all of five minutes, to get this right.  But I have found that the sauce will hold perfectly well for hours, so there is no reason not to just make this ahead of any other preparations you have to do.  With the water at a steady simmer, simply whisk the sauce until the butter melts, and the sauce is a nice creamy consistency.  Using a hot pad, lift the bowl from the pan, and set it on the counter.  Continue to whisk until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch.

five or six minutes of whisking yields a velvety, lemon-scented sauce

Eggs benedict is a great way to put that lovely sauce to use.  We like ours with bacon and maybe a little sauteed spinach.  The secret to crisp, evenly cooked bacon is going low and slow.  I have found that an electric skillet set at about 350 does a superior job.  It does take some time to cook -- maybe 20 to 30 minutes -- so I start the bacon first.  It requires very little attention.  Just turn it once or twice.

bacon is properly cooked when tiny foam bubbles appear on the surface

I poach the eggs right in the water I simmered for the hollandaise.  Just add a teaspoon of vinegar, which will help the eggs hold their shape.  The fresher the eggs, the better, as the white thins as it ages, and loses its tendency to cling to the yolk.  I like a poached egg to have a creamy but still runny yolk.  Jim likes his yolk set up a little more.  So, after about five minutes, I just take out the last egg put in the water,  lifting it out with a slotted spoon and resting the spoon on a kitchen towel to drain the water.  By the time I have that settled on a toasted english muffin, I can retrieve his eggs, and they are slightly more cooked.

While the eggs are poaching, I plop the bowl of hollandaise back over the pan of simmering water, and whisk while reheating it.  It takes just a minute or two, while the eggs are poaching merrily away in the pan.

a delicious and easy treat

With the simplified cooking method, hollandaise doesn't have to be just a restaurant treat.  And it doesn't have to be made from some mix loaded with stabilizers and artificial flavors.  Give it a try!