Problem? Solution.

After waxing rhapsodic about hollandaise, I realized that I hadn’t shared the whole story. As I mentioned, initially, I struggled with hollandaise. It was the bane of my existence; I dreaded the moment someone would order something that required me to make it quickly, imagining that it would break the moment it hit the plate. If you have ever made a broken hollandaise, you know what I’m talking about. If this is complete gibberish, allow me explain further.


When hollandaise sauce “breaks”, the emulsion itself breaks, manifesting itself in a pool of grainy butter floating on top of the eggs. Not a good look for this sauce. Several things can cause this to happen; adding the butter too fast, adding too much butter, having the butter too hot or too cold, or cooking the sauce too fast. If there’s too much of anything, the emulsifier in the eggs won’t function properly. However, all is not lost. The simplest solution is to add another egg yolk.


In a separate saucepan, whisk another egg yolk and a tablespoon of cold water together. Slowly drizzle in the broken hollandaise, whisking constantly. The sauce will (magically) return to the beautiful un-separated form. Serve the sauce right away for the best flavor and quality.


Another thing that helps to ensure a good emulsification is a high quality, sturdy whisk. I like ball whisks with long handles for ample leverage, but you should experiment to see what works best for you. Whisks, like knives, are a personal choice. Once you find the best whisk for you, you'll have much better luck ensuring that your hollandaise doesn't break.
-Josie