A Month-of-Eggs: Hollandaise Sauce Not Just for Holidays

Hollandaise Sauce is one of the classic French Mother Sauces that is so good in so many ways. Think of it as a cousin to mayonnaise and alfredo sauce to give you ideas of how you can use it. 

Once you taste it, you will find yourself using it on baked chicken, tossed with pasta, as a sandwich spread for extra richness and so much more. Hollandaise is not just for Eggs Benedict anymore!

 

You may think that this delicious condiment/sauce is difficult. Not so. With my easy directions, you will find yourself making this to impress guests with your talents. It only takes a few minutes. Shh! They don’t have to know how easy it is!

Hollandaise Sauce Not Just for Holidays (makes about 1½ cups)

4 egg yolks

3 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

dash of white pepper

1 tablespoon hot water (+ more if needed)

1 cup butter, melted

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried tarragon

Use a double-boiler if you have one. If not, put water in the bottom of a sauce pan and rest another pan inside the first. Do not let the water touch the top pan. If it does, dump water out.

On a low heat, simmer the water.

In the top pan, whisk yolks, lemon juice, pepper and water.

While whisking, add melted butter in a very slow stream. If sauce thickens, too much, add another teaspoon of hot water. If still too thick add one more teaspoon of hot water.

Keep whisking until butter is thoroughly blended with the eggs. Add salt and tarragon. Remove from heat. Serve immediately or keep warm with a lid until serving.

NOTE: Do try this on top of steak, tossed with noodles, blended with leftover cooked chicken, and not just on eggs. Experiment! But it’s great on eggs!

DH’s Rating: Five Tongues Up  He likes to slather this on a roast chicken or roast beef sandwich about as much as on Eggs Benedict. And it uses some of our loaded lemon tree produce.