The preparation of hollandaise starts with a few key steps, the first of which is to prepare clarified butter. Most people don’t realize that butter is so versatile and has so many uses in the savory kitchen. It can be melted, clarified, made into brown butter, black butter, rich butter sauces like beurre blanc and hollandaise, or blended with herbs and spices to prepare a compound butter. Each technique and preparation changes the flavor and end product.

There are two basic methods to prepare clarified butter. You can use either method, with the second one being a little riskier, but more thorough. The purpose of preparing clarified butter is to separate the butterfat (the good stuff!) from the milk solids (which tend to burn) and the water.

1 lb. butter

Method 1

• Melt the butter in a saucepot over moderate heat
• Skim the froth from the surface as it begins to simmer
• Carefully pour off the clear melted butter into another container, making sure to leave the milky liquid at the bottom of saucepot

This method works, but I find it a bit wasteful, especially when doing it in restaurant sized volumes of 10-20 lbs. at a time. You can even melt the butter in the microwave if you choose, just be careful to use a deep container to avoid it boiling over

Method 2

• Melt the butter in a saucepot over moderate heat
• Skim the froth from the surface
• Continue to leave the butter on the heat until the water boils and gradually evaporates out
• When the butter foams for a second time, begins to look clear and you see signs of the milk solids lightly browning on the sides, quickly strain it through a coffee filter sitting over a fine mesh strainer

This method is a little more work, but will yield more final product. Now that the butter is prepared, let’s put our hollandaise together. Before we do, let’s share a few key points about preparing hollandaise

• Cool the reduction before adding the yolks, or they will scramble
• Use the freshest eggs possible for the best emulsification ( pick up some at the Farmer’s Market)
• Use the double boiler to avoid overcooking of the yolks
• Use a round-bottomed stainless steel bowl
• Have the butter warm, but not too hot or it will overcook the eggs, if too cool it will solidify
• Don’t add the butter too quickly at first, or it will split
• Don’t add more butter than the yolks can hold, about 6 yolks per pound of butter
• Broken or curdled hollandaise can be rescued- try adding a teaspoon of cold water and whisking vigorously, if that doesn’t work, start over with a couple of yolks, once you have a stable hollandaise, incorporate the split hollandaise slowly while whisking

100 ml. white wine
2 tbsp. cold water
1 tbsp. vinegar
3-4 pc. peppercorns
1 pc. bay leaf
1 tbsp. minced shallots

• Place a small pot of water on the stove to use as a double boiler
• In a separate pot, combine the ingredients in a medium saucepot and simmer slowly to reduce to ¼ of the original volume
• Remove from the heat and strain through fine mesh strainer
• Allow to cool slightly
• Place the reduction in a metal bowl, add the following

3 pc. egg yolks

• Using a whisk, place the bowl over the double boiler and whisk until thick and creamy, being careful to whisk constantly, so to not scramble the eggs
• Remove the bowl from the double boiler and get a friend to help you with the next part
• Using a ladle, very slowly and gradually beat in the warm clarified butter
• Start by adding it drop by drop, while whisking vigorously, and increase the speed at which you add the butter as the sauce gets thicker and thicker, if the sauce becomes too thick 9thicker than mayo) add just a few drops of warm water to help thin it out, but only a few.
• Finish the sauce by adding the following

1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. Worcestershire
TT salt

Congrats! You have made hollandaise! Now use this to make some tasty eggs benedict, or mix it up and make some west coast bennies, with smoked salmon and asparagus! Yum!