[George Albiez]

ABSOLUTELY FOOLPROOF recipe for Hollandaise, though not quite the classical method:

2 egg yolks
3 T. fresh lemon juice
1 stick of butter, divided

Combine egg yolks and lemon juice in small saucepan. Add 1/2 stick of butter over LOW heat, stirring constantly. When melted, add remaining 1/2 stick of the butter. Stir until melted. Finish with a dash of Cayenne pepper. Yield: 1 cup.

Just don't tell my students! Good Luck.

Chef Duke

[davewarne]

When I was training we were told ' a good chef knows how to get out of the trouble he got himself into' No one has mentioned how to save your hollandaise. What do you do? Chuck it all out?

Most hollandaise splits when you try to rush things. As already said, the temp of the butter is important but I think too cold gives more problems than too hot.
Anyway, working over a bain-marie, start off another yolk or two with a tiny bit of warm water, remove from the heat and add the split hollandaise to it in spoonfuls, whisking well to form the emulsion. Keep going, making sure you warm the pan as you go along.
Some chefs I knew could rescue the sauce with just a bit of warm water.

I also like a reduction in my sauce. I've never used tabasco or worcester sauce but why not...if you like it.

Dave

[kuan]

Well, the general rule for all broken sauces and vinaigrettes is you put the bad stuff back into the good stuff.

Kuan