Hollandaise Sauce

By Sam Sifton

Hollandaise Sauce
Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Gozde Eker.
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(949)
Comments
Read comments

For the longest time I made a classic French hollandaise sauce with two or three egg yolks, until I tasted what happens when you use seven, in keeping with the teachings of the chefs David McMillan and Fred Morin, of the restaurant Joe Beef in Montreal. Their advice carries over to the use of a blender instead of a double boiler to make the sauce. It’s a terrific sauce for asparagus, for broccoli, for steaks, for scallops, for eggs Benedict or for my homage to a Joe Beef dish: scallops with hollandaise sauce and shredded duck.

Featured in: A Meal of Joyous Excess for the Holidays

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 7egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1cup unsalted butter
  • Pinch cayenne, or to taste
  • Lemon juice, to taste
  • Salt, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

242 calories; 26 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 96 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put yolks into a small container into which you can fit an immersion blender, or into the jar of a blender.

  2. Step 2

    Melt the butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat, then allow it to cool for a few minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Process the yolks for a couple of seconds, then continue to run the blender as you add the melted butter in a slow and careful stream, until you have a thin, emulsified sauce. Add the cayenne, lemon juice and salt to taste, blend again to combine and keep at room temperature until ready to use.

Ratings

4 out of 5
949 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

georgia peach

Ingredients list doesn’t include lemon juice. How much?

Kirby Benedict

Recipe from these folks' scallop/duck dish.... includes the lemon juice 7 egg yolks, at room temperature 1 cup unsalted butter Pinch cayenne, or to taste 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste Salt, to taste

cw

Serving 2 or 3: 4 eggs 1/2 cup butter 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Anna

I followed the directions and recipe. This doesn’t taste like hollandaise to me.

Elizabeth

Always do yolks and butter first. Lemon comes at the end to thin. Cayenne is not necessary. If you want to make tarragon steak sauce add a tad of garlic. Extra butter. Extra pepper ground.

G’anny

My go-to is three lg or four med yolks, whisked in a glass bowl, add a generous pinch of cayenne and 2 tbsp lemon juice until well combined. Gradually drizzle in 1 stick of butter melted. If it’s runnier than you like, zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds and whisk again. Always perfect.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.