🇫🇷 French · Sauces
Classic Reduction Hollandaise
A warm, glossy Hollandaise emulsified from egg yolks, the linked white-wine reduction, clarified butter and lemon.
Behind the plate
Hollandaise is controlled by temperature and pace. Egg yolks and reduction are whisked over gentle steam until they hold ribbons, then clarified butter is introduced slowly enough for the emulsion to grow without splitting.
The reduction lives on its own page because it can season several sauces. This page links directly to that canonical component and begins with it already prepared and cooled.
Why this recipe works
Acidic reduction loosens and seasons the yolks, gentle heat unfolds their proteins enough to thicken, and slow addition disperses clarified butter into microscopic droplets. Lemon, salt, pepper and a little sugar balance the final emulsion.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 6 pasteurised egg yolks
- 1 full batch White Wine Herb Reduction, cooled
- 200 ml clarified butter, warm but not hot
- 20 ml fresh lemon juice
- Fine salt, to taste
- White or black pepper, to taste
- 5 g granulated sugar
- Boiling water, only a few drops if adjustment is needed
Method
- Prepare the linked White Wine Herb Reduction first and allow it to cool.
- Bring a small pot of water to a very gentle simmer. Place a folded cloth securely over the pot only if this is your kitchen’s approved method for stabilising the bowl, keeping all cloth away from flame.
- Place the egg yolks and cooled reduction in a heatproof bowl set over, not touching, the simmering water.
- Whisk continuously until the yolks become pale, thick and able to hold a ribbon. If they tighten too quickly, lift the bowl from the heat and whisk in a few drops of boiling water.
- Add the warm clarified butter in a very slow stream while whisking continuously. Add more quickly only after a stable emulsion has formed.
- Strain if a perfectly smooth sauce is required, then season with lemon juice, salt, pepper and sugar.
- Serve immediately or hold for only the time and temperature permitted by your local food-safety procedure. Do not cool and reheat repeatedly.
Chef’s notes
- The linked reduction replaces a repeated ingredient block and keeps the preparation consistent wherever it is used.
- Use pasteurised yolks for professional service and control time and temperature carefully.
- Clarified butter that is too hot can scramble the yolks; butter that is cold can make the sauce seize.
- If the sauce begins to split, take it off the heat and whisk a spoonful into a fresh yolk or a few drops of warm water before gradually incorporating the remainder.
At the table
Serve with poached eggs, asparagus, salmon, white fish or grilled vegetables.