Make a special sauce

Rich hollandaise adds velvet touch to many meals

There are a few disputes as to the origin of the classic French sauce hollandaise.

Some food historians argue a sauce similar to a hollandaise was created in the Netherlands and brought back to France by the Huguenots several centuries ago. Others will say hollandaise sauce was created in France during the mid-18th century.

The sauce was named hollandaise because Holland — or the Netherlands, more specifically — was known for its exceptional butter and eggs, the two key ingredients in the sauce.

Whatever its true origin, a hollandaise is one of the five classic French sauces, or “mother sauces.” Like a mayonnaise, a hollandaise is an emulsion. An emulsion is a mixture of liquids that would not normally combine, like oil and water.

A hollandaise sauce has the reputation for being a bit tricky to make because of the delicate nature of the egg yolks in it. To make a hollandaise, the egg yolks are vigorously whisked in a double boiler, heating the egg yolks but not allowing them to set.

The acid from the lemon juice, aside from giving this silky rich sauce a lovely tang, also helps to bind the sauce together as it emulsifies.

To make sure the emulsion comes together, it is crucial to slowly add the warm butter a little at a time while whisking the egg yolks and lemon juice. If the butter is added too quickly, it will cause the hollandaise sauce to separate, and the sauce will lack a smooth and silky texture.

Hollandaise is a rich and delicious sauce and it can complement many different dishes. It is a key ingredient when making Eggs Benedict and goes nicely over fish and poultry. If you are looking for a great way to entice your family to eat more vegetables, try serving a hollandaise over blanched broccoli or asparagus. The velvety texture of the sauce along with the tangy hint of lemon wakes up otherwise ordinary vegetables and is sure to win over even the most discriminating palate.

By following a few steps, mastering the hollandaise is quite easy to accomplish and you can then make an ordinary dish extraordinary.