Basic hollandaise

Basic hollandaise

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

Difficulty and servings

For the keen cook

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

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Method

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

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.

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.

Storing reduced wine vinegar

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

Seasoning

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

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.

Nutrition per serving (for 6)

336 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 0g, fat 36 g, saturated fat 22g, fibre 0g, salt 0.02 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2005.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo veronika

    08 November 2007

    veronika rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Hollandaise sauce made easy!

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  • Binder photo chelsea1

    02 January 2008

    chelsea1 commented on this recipe

    Does anyone know how to make quick hollandaise with a bamix hand blender??

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  • Binder photo cosmic

    27 January 2008

    cosmic rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Cheffy sauce without the hassle, spot on for brunch, with ham and ciabatta

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  • Binder photo M Stevenson

    17 May 2008

    M Stevenson rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Great recipe, my effort split twice while adding the butter, but with a a spot of water from the fridge the final result was rich, creamy and delicious. A perfect accompaniment to the white asparagus we had it with. One slight qualm I have is the 500ml of vinegar specified in the recipe when only a couple of teaspoons are needed. I had already got the vinegar boiling away before realising that I'd be stuck with having to bottle 200ml of tarragon and pepper flavoured reduced vinegarr.

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  • Binder photo Ruskieray

    16 November 2008

    Ruskieray commented on this recipe

    Isn't this the recipe for Bearnaise sauce?

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  • Binder photo Alex

    05 February 2009

    Alex commented on this recipe

    I agree with Ruskieray - if it's vinegar, egg yolks, butter and tarragon then it's Bearnaise, not Hollandaise. Although strictly speaking Bearnaise should also include chopped shallots in the initial reduction (you chuck them out after you've boiled down the vinegar).

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  • Binder photo Alex

    05 February 2009

    Alex commented on this recipe

    And M Stevenson is also right - there's not much point in boiling down half a litre of vinegar if you're only going to use a couple of teaspoonsful. Why would you need all that reduced vinegar? How often are you going to make this sauce? This is a restaurant recipe which hasn't been translated into home cooking terms.

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  • Binder photo KalaRae

    12 February 2009

    KalaRae rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    How can any of you question "the man"?!?!

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  • Binder photo cakeanyone?

    24 February 2009

    cakeanyone? commented on this recipe

    So, is there an answer re the vinegar issue? What would happen if you just used 2 tspn of white wine vinegar without reducing it? Another thought - if the reduction with the tarragon is just for the tarragon flavour, couldn't tarragon could be added elsewhere in the recipe perhaps. Any suggestions?

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  • Binder photo cakeanyone?

    24 February 2009

    cakeanyone? commented on this recipe

    Made some enquiries and you can buy tarragon flavoured vinegar so that would same some time/money!

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  • Binder photo sweety

    21 April 2009

    sweety commented on this recipe

    I love this recipe!! Really!! The only problem I have is poaching the eggs, I can't get really fresh eggs around here and I never seem to get the eggs like in pictures, but the sauce is really really really mmmmmmhhh, and the combination of the sauce, eggs, muffins, ham is great. Can't believe it's almost not known in Holland.

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  • Binder photo hiccup42

    27 August 2009

    hiccup42 commented on this recipe

    The man in the "How to" video said you would use water if you weren't using the vinegar reduction. I haven't tried it out yet though. Perhaps using non - reduced vinegar is better than water.

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  • Binder photo ck

    09 June 2010

    ck commented on this recipe

    surely you should in infuse the butter with the herbs as fat absorbs more flavour??

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  • Binder photo sunbird

    31 March 2011

    sunbird rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    To make hollandaise sauce - one you don't need tarragon - two you can add two teaspoons of cold water instead of vinegar and three - you don't need melted butter - the sauce is less likely to split if you incorporate small lumps of butter into the sauce and whisk each time - result - lovely sauce with less of the hastle - works every time.

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  • Binder photo chi3

    16 April 2011

    chi3 rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    agree with all above comment about too much vinegar... no need for so much. complex but worth it, need to learn to thicken the sauce more

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  • Binder photo SamWhyte

    27 April 2011

    SamWhyte rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I'd never made a hollandaise before and it worked really well, I guess I have no basis for comparison, but it didn't split and it tasted lovely.

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  • Binder photo UncleVagrant

    04 August 2011

    UncleVagrant commented on this recipe

    I found a Delia version a few years ago and TOTALLY swear by it. There's no excessive reductions and the only complex element is the requirement of owning a tiny wee blender. You won't split the mixture because you only heat the egg yolk through the warmed vinegar/lemon juice and then again with the frothy butter. I'd pop a link here to it but the moderator probably won't allow it. Use google with Delia Hollandaise! Enjoy

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  • Binder photo Kate's Food

    01 February 2012

    Kate's Food commented on this recipe

    Poached eggs sometimes seem to work perfectly for me. Other tomes they are a disaster, though they always taste just as good. Can I suggest Lakeland's pochette's for when the need to look good. I know it's cheating, but the are foolproof! And you can do more than one at a time.

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  • Binder photo **Island Girl**

    30 April 2012

    **Island Girl** commented on this recipe

    Personally, I think Mr. Ramsay is the best chef because of the precision he has taught himself and others while attaining the ability to show the art of mastering cuisines. Although not a fan of his imprecational ways, I do believe that he 'fires' on-screen and if you are adament about learning the proper way of fine cooking, he would be my number one choice. I use this recipe all the time and it is the easiest way to make a stunning breakfast affaire! :)

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  • Binder photo kitchen cook

    24 October 2012

    kitchen cook commented on this recipe

    You can make Hollandaise in the food blender which is quicker

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Difficulty and servings

For the keen cook

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

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ingredients

  • 500ml white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp peppercorns
  • bunch tarragon
  • 3 large free-range egg yolks
  • 200ml melted and skimmed unsalted butter (see Secrets for success, below)
  • squeeze lemon juice
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Nutrition per serving (for 6)

336 kcalories, protein 2g, carbohydrate 0g, fat 36 g, saturated fat 22g, fibre 0g, salt 0.02 g

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