No Fuss Hollandaise Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.
• Brown the bacon in a medium skillet and toast the English muffins, cut sides up, on a baking sheet under the broiler. Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet half full of water. Add white vinegar to the cooking water. This will make the egg white cook faster so it does not spread. Bring to a slow boil. Gently break 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain. To assemble: Lay a slice of Canadian bacon on top of each muffin half, followed by a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish with chopped parsley.
• Yield: 4 servings

Steps:

• The list of ingredients are what is the basic recipe. Melt the butter ahead of time to cool slightly and use something like a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl, makes it much easier to pour with a handle. In a heavy bottom pan on a low setting, put the 3 egg yolks with the water and fresh lemon juice in pan. Whisk together while heating up. When it starts to get "custardy" (sauce sticks to the back of the spoon and you can start to see the bottom of the pan from whisk strokes), take off heat and start adding the melted butter in a slow stream while whisking until completely incorporated into the egg yolks.
• NOTES: You can use bottled lemon juice, but fresh will make a difference like you never knew! You can multiply for larger groups. I have a good rule of thumb that works for me that for every stick of butter, it will serve generously two people. Also, keep the heat low! If you see the yolks starting to curdle, you have it too high! It does require alot of whisking.
• The reason this works so well is that the basic principal of Hollandaise is to incorporate one stick of butter for every egg yolk. With the extra egg yolk, it never seems to fall apart. I will say this also, I have better results with the flavor of the sauce using one salted and one unsalted sticks of butter.
• Uses are on Eggs Benedict, asparagas, artichokes.

Steps:

• Melt the butter in the microwave.
• In a medium saucepan, make a thin roux using half the butter and the flour.
• Whisk in the milk a little at a time until thick and smooth.
• Lowering heat to minimum, add the egg yolks and remaining butter, stirring constantly, being careful not to let the yolks curdle.
• Gradually add the lemon juice; finish with salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper or paprika.
• Optional: since we're already straying from the classic technique and ingredients, why not add a touch of saffron, which doesn't affect the flavor so much as the color, giving the sauce a gorgeous yellow hue.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbly; do not let brown.
• Combine egg yolks, water, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne in a blender; blend until frothy. With blender running, pour in hot butter in a very thin stream and blend until sauce is thick and emulsified. Promptly pour sauce into a serving bowl.