Today’s recipe, was sparked by two things. Firstly, an entire discussion on the various methods of making Hollandaise Sauce with friends over dinner. And secondly the incredible pickle juice Hollandaise that Open Kitchen served on their first night as SURPLUS Manchester at Beer Nouveau.
So, in this blog post I’ve pulled together three recipes. The basic version (how I normally make it). The Brown Butter Hollandaise version. And finally, the pickle juice version. So now you have a sauce for all versions of Eggs Benny – the original, Royale and Florentine. Or just to use as we did, and serve it with a piece of pan fried hake.
I’m told my normal Hollandaise uses the ‘Guardian Method’. To be honest, I’ve been making it for so long I genuinely can’t remember where I got the recipe from. And again, to be honest, I guess most of it by eye/taste. I’ve also learned the hard way that if the sauce splits, don’t bin it. Beat the crap out of it and it should come back. All is not lost.
Finally, all these recipes are detailed as someone who uses basic equipment. A Pyrex jug, a hand whisk and a pan to melt the butter in. That’s just my preference. If you have a hand mixer, or a blender, or even a processor, adjust to suit.
To the recipes, and first up, how I do my standard Hollandaise sauce. I like quite a thick, rich Hollandaise, with a proper kick of lemon, and oomph from Dijon mustard. So that’s what this recipe is – obviously adjust the lemon and seasoning to your taste.
Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 Medium egg yolks
- 125 grams Butter, melted (keep it in the pan, because you'll put everything back into the pan!)
- 1-2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
-
In a jug, beat the eggs and mustard until combined.
-
Gradually whisk in the melted butter.
-
As mentioned, if it splits, don't panic, whisk it hard and it should come back.
-
Add lemon juice to taste.
-
When happy, put it back on the hob and gently bring the temperature up, stirring constantly. You just want to warm and thicken it - cooking the egg yolks.
-
Once you're happy, take it off the heat and serve. If it's too thick for you, just add a little water to loosen it.
My dinner dates told me about the brown butter method, which feels slightly terrifying (as you use proper foaming brown butter) but actually works beautifully. It gives it a real caramel flavour. So if you want something round and almost sweet, this is the one for you.
Brown Butter Hollandaise
Ingredients
- 3 Medium egg yolks
- 125 grams Butter
- 1-2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Instructions
-
Put the eggs and the mustard in a heatproof jug, and whisk.
-
Meantime, put the butter in a small pan and put on the heat.
-
Heat the butter til it foams and turns brown.
-
Once nut brown, take it off the heat and beating all the time, add bit by bit to your egg/mustard mixture. Again, if it splits, don't panic, keep beating, it'll come back.
-
Add lemon juice and seasoning to taste. If it's a little thick. add water to loosen it. The hot butter will have cooked the egg yolks, so there is not need to reheat this sauce.
-
Serve.
Finally, the pickle juice version is lighter than the original or the brown butter version. As it uses dill pickle juice, you get that soft herbal flavour, which makes it perfect for pairing with fish or seafood.
Pickle Juice Hollandaise
Ingredients
- 3 Medium egg yolks
- 125 grams Butter, melted (keep the pan, you'll need it!)
- 1-2 tsbp Pickle juice (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
-
In a jug, mix the mustard and egg yolks until combined.
-
Add the melted butter, bit by bit until combined.
-
Pour the mixture back into the pan you melted the butter in, and warm gently. You just want it to thicken, and cook through the egg yolks.
-
Add the pickle juice and seasoning to taste. If the sauce is too thick for you, add a little water to loosen it.
-
Serve.