Hollandaise

Warm egg yolk emulsion. The morning sauce.

One of Escoffier's five mother sauces. Butter, egg yolk, acid. It is what carries poached eggs onto the world stage.

Method

01
Clarify 200g butter — melt gently, skim solids, pour off the golden liquid, discard whey.
02
Whisk 3 yolks + 1 tbsp water + 1 tbsp reduction over a barely simmering bain-marie until pale, thick, and doubled in volume.
03
Off the heat, dribble the warm clarified butter in a thin stream while whisking. Never rush.
04
Season with lemon, salt and the barest whisper of cayenne. Serve within 30 minutes.

Chef's notebook

“Warm the yolks properly before adding butter — cold yolks + warm butter = split sauce.”
“Add a tablespoon of hot water if it goes glossy-dense; whisk vigorously to re-emulsify.”