Recipe by Brian McDermott
Both hollandaise and Béarnaise sauce use butter, emulsified with egg yolks, to make a luxurious sauce. Hollandaise is the simpler flavoured of the two, seasoned with lemon juice, whilst béarnaise uses shallots and herbs, and is acidulated with vinegar.
‘It is probably the most famous of all sauces, and is often the most dreaded…’
So said Julia Child and her collaborators, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, in their ground-breaking volumes, Mastering the Art of French Cooking when discussing hollandaise sauce. Don’t dread: hollandaise is straightforward, with one rule: only add more butter when the previous tablespoon has been absorbed. Slow, and gentle.
This wonderful recipe is from ‘MILK’ by John and Sally McKenna produced in association with the National Dairy Council. ‘MILK’ is available in bookstores across Ireland and can be purchased online here.
In a small saucepan, add the vinegar and chopped shallot, and place over a medium heat. Allow to simmer and reduce the liquid by half
In a bowl over steaming water, place the egg yolks and whisk them. Then slowly add melted warm butter, whisking all the time, until you have a thick mayonnaise consistency, and all the butter is added.
Add the reduced vinegar and shallots. Season with loads of black pepper and freshly chopped tarragon. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside until you are ready to use.
Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Melt the butter in a small pan. Put a small saucepan of water on the hob, and place the bowl with the egg yolks on top.
Add the lemon juice, vinegar and mustard.
Add the melted butter in a very slow stream; if your little saucepan has a lip then use the saucepan, otherwise pour from a jug or add a tablespoon at a time. Continue to whisk between each addition of butter. When all the butter is added, you should have a smooth sauce. Season and serve.
Ingredients
Directions
In a small saucepan, add the vinegar and chopped shallot, and place over a medium heat. Allow to simmer and reduce the liquid by half
In a bowl over steaming water, place the egg yolks and whisk them. Then slowly add melted warm butter, whisking all the time, until you have a thick mayonnaise consistency, and all the butter is added.
Add the reduced vinegar and shallots. Season with loads of black pepper and freshly chopped tarragon. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside until you are ready to use.
Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Melt the butter in a small pan. Put a small saucepan of water on the hob, and place the bowl with the egg yolks on top.
Add the lemon juice, vinegar and mustard.
Add the melted butter in a very slow stream; if your little saucepan has a lip then use the saucepan, otherwise pour from a jug or add a tablespoon at a time. Continue to whisk between each addition of butter. When all the butter is added, you should have a smooth sauce. Season and serve.
Comments are closed.