Name: Basic hollandaise
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Makes about 300ml (enough to serve 4-6)
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 500ml white wine vinegar; 1 tbsp peppercorn; bunch tarragon; 3large free-range egg yolks; 200ml melted and skimmed unsalted butter (see Secrets for success, below); squeeze lemon juice

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Basic hollandaise

Basic hollandaise

Gordon Ramsay

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Makes about 300ml (enough to serve 4-6)

A challenge

Total time: 30 mins

A star rating of 4 out of 5.33 ratingsRate

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This sauce, from Gordon Ramsay, takes some time to prepare, but think of it as a workout with a whisk

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

500ml white wine vinegar
1 tbsp peppercorn
bunch tarragon
3large free-range egg yolks
200ml melted and skimmed unsalted butter

(see Secrets for success, below)
squeeze lemon juice

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Nutrition: nutrition per serving (for 6)

kcal336
fat36g
saturates22g
carbs0g
sugars0g
fibre0g
protein2g
salt0.02g

low

Method

step 1

Boil the vinegar together with peppercorns and tarragon, reduce by half. Strain and reserve (see Secrets for success on storing, below).
step 2

Boil a large pan of water, then reduce to a simmer. Using a large balloon whisk, beat together the yolks and 2 tsp of the reduced wine vinegar in a heatproof bowl that fits snugly over the pan.
step 3

Beat vigorously until the mixture forms a foam, but make sure that it doesn’t get too hot. To prevent the sauce from overheating, take it on and off the heat while you whisk, scraping around the sides with a plastic spatula. The aim is to achieve a golden, airy foam (called a sabayon), which forms ribbons when the whisk is lifted.
step 4

Whisk in a small ladle of the warmed butter, a little at a time, then return the bowl over a gentle heat to cook a little more. Remove from the heat again and whisk in another ladle of butter. Repeat until all the butter is incorporated and you have a texture as thick as mayonnaise. Finally, whisk in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste plus a little warm water from the pan if the mixture is too thick.

RECIPE TIPS

CURDLING TIPS

If the sauce mixture starts to ‘split’ or curdle, immediately scrape the mixture into a clean bowl and whisk in 1 tbsp ice-cold water, then continue whisking in the remaining butter just a ladleful at a time.

SEASONING

Salt breaks down the yolks if you add it too early, so season your sauce at the end.

MELTING THE BUTTER

Heat a 250g pack chopped butter in a shallow pan. As it foams, scoop off the froth and scum using a small ladle or large metal spoon. Don’t use a slotted spoon or the scum will slip back into the butter. (Don’t waste the froth – it can be used in potatoes or for dressing hot vegetables). You should have around 200ml of warmed butter for the sauce. You can melt the butter in a microwave, but keep it covered as it melts or it will spit. Leave to cool a little before adding to the eggs.

STORING REDUCED WINE VINEGAR

When vinegar has reduced, strain back into the bottle, cool and store as usual.

OLIVE OIL HOLLANDAISE

Use 200ml of medium flavour olive oil (not extra virgin oil) instead of the butter, and heat until warm. Perfect with roasted vegetables and grilled fish.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2005

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.33 ratings

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