French · Sauce · All year
Hollandaise (Mother Sauce)
4.6 · community
10m
Prep
10m
Cook
Advanced
Level
260
Energy
Warm butter emulsified into whisked yolks with lemon — the fragile, glorious mother behind eggs Benedict and béarnaise. Fully explained, entirely doable.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
Before you start
Mise en place
Yield: About 250 ml
Equipment
Small saucepan
Whisk
Prep checklist
Eggs — yolks only
Butter — melted, warm not hot
Lemon — juice
Water — cold
3 steps
Method
1
Whisk yolks and the teaspoon of water in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water until pale, doubled, and ribboning — 2–3 minutes. The bowl must never get too hot to touch.
3 min — timer available in cooking mode
Why this works
You are gently cooking the yolks to thickening (around 65°C) without scrambling them. If you see any graininess, pull the bowl off and whisk hard.
2
Off the heat, add the warm butter in a thin stream, whisking constantly — drop by drop for the first spoonful, then steadier as the emulsion takes hold.
3
Season with lemon, salt, and a whisper of cayenne. Hold near the stove (not on it) up to 1 hour, whisking now and then.
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
When it goes sideways
Common mistakes
The sauce broke into oily puddles
Too much fat too fast, or too much heat. Whisk a tablespoon of warm water in a clean bowl and beat the broken sauce into it a spoonful at a time — you're starting a new emulsion and feeding it the old one.
It's too thick
Thickness means crowded, not broken — loosen with warm water a teaspoon at a time.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Airtight jar in the fridge, 3–5 days. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of starch-thickened sauces to stop a skin forming.
Freezing
Most sauces freeze 2–3 months; freeze in ice-cube trays for single portions. Emulsified butter/egg sauces don't freeze — they break on thawing.
Reheating
Reheat gently over low heat, whisking; butter- and egg-based sauces split when boiled. Loosen with a spoonful of warm water or stock.
Make ahead
Most sauces keep 3–5 days refrigerated and freeze in ice-cube trays for instant single portions. Emulsified butter sauces are best made within the hour.
Wine pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
Beer pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Eggs Benedict
Steamed asparagus
Poached salmon
Garnish
A final swirl of butter or oil
Fresh herbs
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
1
Salty
3
Sour
2
Bitter
0
Umami
4
Heat
0
Per serving
Nutrition
260
kcal
2g
protein
1g
carbs
28g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
Asked and answered
Questions
Can I use a blender?
Yes — blender hollandaise (yolks + lemon blitzed, hot butter streamed in) is nearly foolproof and 90% as silky. Escoffier isn't watching.
Just for you
Your notes
Understand it
Lessons behind this dish
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