Hollandaise!

[Willravel]

This last Thanksgiving morning, I made homemade eggs Benedict for the family by request. I've never had eggs Benedict before, nor hollandaise sauce, so I relied entirely on Alton Brown for the recipe (which was actually quite simple). The Hollandaise recipe is as follows:

Hollandaise Sauce:
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne, divided
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice strained, divided
8 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Whisk together the egg yolks, water, salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne in a 2 quart saucier for 1 minute.

Put the saucier over low heat and whisk vigorously, moving the pan on and off the heat every 10 to 15 seconds, bringing the mixture to 140 to 145 degrees F, on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 3 minutes. Add 1 piece of butter at a time, every 30 seconds, while continually whisking and moving the saucier on and off the heat. Maintain temperature around 120 to 130 degrees F throughout the remainder of the cooking process. Once half of the butter, or 8 pieces, have been added, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add the remaining 8 pieces of butter, 1 at a time, every 30 seconds, while continuing to move the saucier on and off the heat and maintaining 120 to 130 degrees F. After the last piece of butter has been added, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and the sugar and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes.

Taste and add more lemon juice, as desired. Move immediately to a short, wide-mouthed thermos to hold for up to 2 hours. Reheat over low heat for 45 seconds.

It really was very easy and it appeared to be right when I finished it. I tasted it, to determine if it needed more salt, lemon, or cayenne, and it was INCREDIBLY rich. I don't know why I was surprised considering it's like 9/10ths butter, but it was like a spoon of homemade Velveeta or something.

Anyway, the folks who requested it seemed to like it, though I went ahead and just had a poached egg on Canadian bacon on the homemade English muffin, which was delicious. I'm thinking about using Sherry next time (instead of lemon), clarified butter, and I might include an egg white or two to balance things out a bit. I'm also considering applying my experience to finally developing my own Béarnaise recipe.

So, TFoodies, what's your experience with Hollandaise? Do you adore the yellowish, rich sauce? Are you, as I was, a Hollandaise virgin? Or are you a veteran sporting a time-tested recipe all your own?

[snowy]

Love it, love making it, but don't frequently get the chance to as my husband is not so much a fan of hollandaise. But you know what? I think I might make some eggs florentine for dinner one night this week. Hubby can just eat his without the hollandaise if he wants to. I have done mine in a stainless steel bowl nested inside a saucepan in the past.

The other place I love hollandaise: over fish, especially salmon or halibut. Two of the most memorable meals of my life have been salmon/halibut stuffed with brie cheese and topped with halibut. Yum yum yum.

[Baraka_Guru]

Hollandaise sauce is one of the many reminders of why we owe French culture a debt of gratitude. It is one of the best substances in the known universe. The French have invented many such substances. This is just one of them.

[Willravel]

Originally Posted by snowy

The other place I love hollandaise: over fish, especially salmon or halibut. Two of the most memorable meals of my life have been salmon/halibut stuffed with brie cheese and topped with halibut. Yum yum yum.

Halibut on halibut? Sounds sexy.

Any recipes or experiences in perfecting recipes you're willing to share?

[Charlatan]

I love hollandaise sauce but haven't made my own... I think I might have to now.

[snowy]

Originally Posted by Willravel

Halibut on halibut? Sounds sexy.

Any recipes or experiences in perfecting recipes you're willing to share?

Err, that should read hollandaise My fingers must've been going faster than my brain!