Hollandaise Sauce

By Karin Engelbrecht

dutchfood.about.com

Hollandaise Sauce

Photo © Karin Engelbrecht

Hollandaise sauce was made famous by the French, but some historians believe that it was, in fact, a Dutch creation, which was taken back to France by the Huguenots. It goes exceedingly well with asparagus, but is also excellent with delicate flavors like fish.

Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp dry white wine (e.g. Pinot Blanc d’ Alsace)
• 1 cup melted butter (100 g)
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• Pinch of salt and white pepper

Preparation:

In a small saucepan, beat egg yolks and wine until foamy. Place on a low heat and beat continuously until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add melted butter in a thin trickle, while continuing to whisk. Add nutmeg, lemon juice, salt and white pepper. Whisk again before serving.

TIPS:

I’m a big fan of using the same wine in your food as you’re planning to drink. Here, you only need 4 tablespoons, so why not? Besides, if you’re going to make a delicate sauce like Hollandaise, why ruin it with some cheap plonk?

Hollandaise sauce is famous for breaking, so if you’d rather not take any chances, feel free to use a double boiler. Simply place your bowl over a pan of gently boiling water and continue as directed above. However, I find that if you simply do it in a saucepan on a very gentle heat and whisk like crazy it does not tend to break.