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A dish of classic Hollandaise sauce on a white plate with a whisk resting on the dish.
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4.50 / 10 votes

Classic Hollandaise Sauce

This classic Hollandaise sauce is made with eggs, clarified butter, and lemon juice, and is a must-have for topping poached eggs, fish, and vegetables.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: French
Servings: 10 (about 2 cups total)
Calories: 185

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 teaspoon lightly crushed white peppercorns
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 sticks (8 oz) melted unsalted butter, or clarified butter (see note below)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon, (2 tablespoons)
  • salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Add the 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons cold water, and 1 teaspoon lightly crushed white peppercorns in a small, heavy-based saucepan and bring to a boil.
  • Lower the heat and simmer until reduced by 1/3 of its volume, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly.
  • Strain the liquid into a heatproof bowl. Whisking constantly, add the 4 large egg yolks to the liquid and whisk until combined. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, being careful not to let the base of the bowl touch the water, and whisk until the mixture thickens and becomes creamy, smooth, and ribbon-like in texture, 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Whisking constantly, slowly add the 2 sticks (8 oz) melted unsalted butter in a thin stream and continue to whisk until the sauce becomes thick and glossy.
  • Add the juice of 1/2 lemon and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and a pinch cayenne pepper to taste.
  • Serve the sauce immediately.

Notes

*What is clarified butter?

“Most classic recipes for hollandaise sauce call for clarified butter," explains Paul Gayler. "It’s not essential, but the sauce will be creamier and smoother than if you use just melted butter."
Clarified butter is, essentially, just butter that's been simmered to remove most of the water and then strained to remove the browned milk solids. What you'll end up with is a more stable fat that doesn't burn or smoke as easily when cooking. Here's how:
  1. Melt the butter in a small pan.
  2. Once melted and foaming, skim the froth from the surface and then carefully tip what remains into a clean pan, leaving the milky sediment behind.
  3. Let the clarified butter rest until warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 3tablespoons | Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 6mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g