Easy Homemade Hollandaise Sauce
A surprisingly simple and quick recipe for rich, velvety Hollandaise sauce, perfect for elevating brunch or dinner dishes.
Equipment
- Small saucepan For melting butter.
- Heatproof bowl Glass or metal, for whisking egg yolks.
- Larger saucepan For creating a double boiler.
- Whisk Essential for emulsifying the sauce.
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks Make sure they’re fresh!
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Freshly squeezed is always best.
- 0.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard Helps stabilize the sauce and adds subtle depth.
- 0.25 teaspoon sea salt Heaping, to make flavors pop.
- 2 pinches cayenne pepper Adjust to liking.
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, melted.
- hot water As needed for consistency.
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until warm and liquid, but not browned.
- In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and cayenne pepper until combined and frothy.
- Set up a double boiler: fill a larger saucepan with 1-2 inches of water and bring to a gentle simmer over low to medium heat. Place the bowl with the egg yolk mixture on top, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Whisk the egg yolk mixture constantly over the simmering water for 3-5 minutes until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- While continuously whisking, slowly drizzle in the melted butter, a thin stream at first, gradually increasing slightly as the sauce emulsifies.
- Continue whisking until all butter is incorporated and the sauce is smooth, creamy, and has a liquid gold appearance.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in hot water, one teaspoon at a time, until the desired pourable consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Hollandaise is best served fresh. If it breaks (looks oily and separated), whisk another egg yolk in a clean bowl and slowly whisk the broken sauce into the new yolk. Gentle, indirect heat and constant whisking are key to success.