Easy Hollandaise Sauce without a Double Boiler

Learning how to make an easy hollandaise sauce without a double boiler for the perfect Sunday breakfast.

Ingredients for Hollandaise Sauce

• Butter: Using a rich butter is the base of a good Hollandaise sauce. Melt the butter all the way down (there should be no white parts!) in preparation for making the sauce.
• Egg Yolks: Yolks are critical for emulsifying the sauce.
• Mustard: Add a bit of dijon or yellow mustard for flavor to your sauce.
• Lemon Juice: Freshly-squeezed juice from half a lemon is all the acid you will need to assist in the emulsion of this sauce.

How to Make Hollandaise Sauce in a Blender

Generally, Hollandaise sauce is made with a double boiler. A double boiler will allow you to keep a consistent temperature while whisking the sauce together. A drawback of using a double boiler is that they tend to be fussy and you’ll always be adjusting the temperature of your water while whisking.

If you use a blender while making your sauce, you’ll be able to (literally) whip it together in a couple of seconds. I was amazed at how easy and unfussy it was to create an easy Hollandaise sauce without a double boiler.

Just add your egg yolks, lemon juice and mustard to your blender and blender together until mixed, about 5 or 10 seconds. Then, begin to stream in your hot butter. Add in about two tablespoons of hot butter at a time and blend well each time you add your butter.

After the first couple of tablespoons of butter and mixing, you might not see your sauce thicken. This is normal, so don’t panic quite yet! As you add more butter your sauce will become thicker.

How to Fix a Broken Sauce without a Double Boiler

One of the most disappointing things to experience when emulsifying a sauce is when it breaks. You’ll know your sauce has “broken” if it is no longer velvety and there are droplets of butter or fat in a runny liquid. A broken sauce has separated back into solids and liquids and is no longer emulsified.

If you add your fatty ingredients (the butter, in this case) too quickly when making your Hollandaise sauce, it could cause it to break. Another cause of a broken sauce is heating the butter up too hot and causing it too curdle.

If you run into this problem of breaking a sauce, add in a teaspoon of cold water or oil to your blender and blend on medium for 30 seconds. Check on your sauce to see if it has emulsified back together. If it still has excess oil floating, add more cold oil or butter to your sauce and blend again. Your sauce should emulsify back together.

Difference between Hollandaise sauce and Bearnaise Sauce

Both the Hollandaise sauce and the Bearnaise sauce are classic French sauces. They are both made by emulsifying hot melted butter into an egg yolk base.

Hollandaise sauce is a sauce made by emulsifying (quickly whisking or blending) egg yolks and lemon juice with melted butter. Bearnaise sauce is made by emulsifying egg yolks and vinegar with melted butter and finely chopped herbs and shallots.

You’ll often see Hollandaise sauce served over poached eggs and vegetables, such as asparagus. Hollandaise sauce is more of a brunch or breakfast sauce. Whereas you will see a Bearnaise sauce served over poultry or beef, generally during lunch or dinner courses.

How to Reheat Hollandaise Sauce

If you have leftover sauce, there are a few different ways to reheat it. You can use your microwave to quickly reheat it, but the most effective way to reheat is over a pot of simmering water.

If you are using a microwave, reheat the sauce in increments of no longer than 10 seconds. Stir the sauce well after each 10 seconds until it is hot enough to pour.

If you want to get your sauce more evenly heated without the risk of curdling, heat your sauce over a pot of lightly simmering water while whisking to ensure the sauce is heated throughout.

Uses for Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise sauce is often the perfect topping for a weekend brunch or breakfast. While you will find a creamy Hollandaise sauce over perfectly poached eggs, you can also add your Hollandaise sauce to:

• Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce
• Bittermelon with Egg
• Sausage Potato Hash
• Grilled Garlic Artichokes
• Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb