Hollandaise

[kerosene]

Who has successfully done it?

We made some lovely Eggs Benedict for the family this morning...my beautiful hollandaise was fluffy and creamy and yummy...until the delay in poaching 12 eggs weighed heavily on the butter, lemon, egg yolk mixture and what remained was a very separated (still yummy) butter sauce. What did I do wrong? I waited too long! I should have just had everyone drink a shot of the stuff before the eggs were done...you know, like an appetizer.

Anyone have any tips? Also, please post your best benedict recipe!

[Undertoad]

It's something you learn by doing: at what point, exactly, are the yolks ready to absorb the butter?

Heat the yolks over a double boiler to control the heat. Whisk them. When they start to thicken, add a T of hot water. Repeat. When they start to thicken the last time, whisk in the butter.

It has to be learnt by doing, because timing the yolks is tricky, and then they go past the thickening state into a hardening state, and you've got scrambled eggs. Until you've mastered it, have backup eggs ready when you need to make it.

[Pie]

I've seen folks keep it in a thermos flask for longer (say 15-30 minute) shelf life.

[Aliantha]

A tip I've heard is to have all the ingredients at the same temp when they're combined. That's about all I've got. (I usually buy mine )

[Pooka]

I use a double boiler.

[kerosene]

I did use a double boiler and thought I was being super careful...the sauce was perfect...until it had to sit for 20 minutes on the double boiler waiting for eggs to be poached. I think that was the problem...it turned into buttery scrambled eggs. But it was still good.

[BrianR]

OK
I can help here. I was trained to make all sauces at the Jax Culinary Institute, so this one is a whiz, but it is hard for a beginner to make.

To begin with, the ingredients should be at room temp, as suggested above. start your double-boiler. Whisk in cool water (out of the tap is fine) and egg yolks and a few drops of lemon juice. The lemon juice is important to add flavor!

heat over the boiler (be gentle, this sauce is delicate) until thickened. Then add the butter (clarified, not melted) s l o w l y!
only a few drops at a time until the sauce thickens well. You should be able to drop in the last Tablespoonful at the end but be gentle. If you do too fast, you will break the sauce.

If the sauce gets TOO thick, add in a few drops of HOT water at a time until it is back to where you want it. The sauce will keep for an hour or so, if you keep it warm. You should have turned off the double-boiler earlier. You can hold the sauce over that as long as it doesn't get too hot, warm is the key.

Have the muffins prepared ahead of time and do the eggs at the same time you're building the sauce. quickly heat the ham (I use Canadian Bacon on mine) and build the dish, spread a bit of sauce over the top of the eggs, and garnish with a tiny pinch of parsley or a small slice of lemon.

[kerosene]

Awesome! Thank you, Brian. that is exactly the sort of directions I needed.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Brian, I copied your remarks over to the Recipe Thread. I've never tried making hollandaise, but maybe some day. Won't feed it to X-lydia, she reckons it's too fatty. Some brain chemistry thing, I think. Guys just seem to like calorie-dense foods more. Figures, with our body-fuel requirements.

[kerosene]

I am a woman and I love me some hollandaise. Of course, I also have to be careful how much of it I eat.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Originally Posted by case

I am a woman and I love me some hollandaise. Of course, I also have to be careful how much of it I eat.

You've noticed how unabashedly the guys will scarf the meat and the cheese and potatoes, while the gals eat a lot of salad.

I've several ideas why this might be, though I'm not at all sure about any of them:

A) Both self- and peer-discipline to keep a youthful figure and attract the male eye because men are very visual creatures. Humans don't scent estrus, so that's out... we're all eyes to start with, and social/communicative cues added in later. I'm told women are less completely visual-oriented, so the fellas don't have the same pressure to stay slim, trim, and racy... as long as they have the capacity to be the things the women are looking for. But this is a whole 'nother thread right here. (And I keep adding clauses.) {Like that one.}
B) Long endurance in exertion and lower calorie output from just plain metabolism. Girls may have a lower power output than guys, but guys collapse sooner, needing some rest to revive. While the guys are going, they can go powerfully, but don't have quite the endurance. There's suggestion that female metabolism is more efficient, and that this is why women live longer. Anyway, less need to snap up a whole bunch of fuel right off.
C) Women enjoy folate-rich foodstuffs more than men. This would probably take a blindfolded taste test experiment to prove in any measurable way, but a little probing for anecdotal accounts to see if this might become a tenable hypothesis would be a start.

[Sheldonrs]

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

You've noticed how unabashedly the guys will scarf the meat and the cheese and potatoes, while the gals SAY THEY eat a lot of salad...

Corrected for accuracy.


(ducks flying objects)

[Cloud]

I love hollandaise! I make it using the Joy of Cooking recipe. I never have any problem, except--there's never enough! My daughter always requests it for special occasions.

Sometimes, when I have to make quantity, or the circumstances warrant, I will make blender hollandaise. It's slightly less favorable, but easier to make and more stable.

[dar512]

Case, are you making this at home?



Cause, you know, there's no place like home for the hollandaise.

[Sheldonrs]

Originally Posted by dar512

Case, are you making this at home?



Cause, you know, there's no place like home for the hollandaise.

Don't get saucy with me, Bernaisse.