My wife and I went through a french cooking phase a few years ago.  We couldn’t get enough of it, so we were trying to make everything we thought we would have a chance of succeeding at.  We made crepes, and learned how to properly saute mushrooms, and we figured out how to make amazing sauces.  One of the best, of course, is the Hollandaise Sauce.  it uses many of the same techniques of other sauces, and even though it is not considered a basic sauce like Bechamel (white sauce), it is still very well worth having in your skill set.

And it isn’t nearly as difficult as people think it is, or make it out to be.

And as a side note, you should check out one of the best cookbooks ever written, and a must have for anyone interested in cooking, the classic that made Julia Childs’ famous for her detail and love of the art, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Start by clarifying the butter.  Skip if you bought it already clarified.  The easiest method is to put it in a large measuring cup and microwave it on high for 30 seconds, then check it (do not stir or mix it).  Add another 20 seconds and check each time until the butter is not only melted but has separated into white parts and partially clear parts. (and yes, you can use less butter if you need less sauce).

Skim the white parts off the top with a spoon, and set the clear parts aside (do not worry about the stuff on the bottom; when it is time to use it, just stop pouring before the stuff on the bottom comes out).

Make a double boiler by putting about an inch of water into a pan, and a bowl over it, with the bowl not touching the water.  Put egg yokes, lemon juice, water, and salt into the bowl.

Turn on the heat to a low or medium-low setting, and slowly whisk the eggs mixture.

Keep whisking it until the eggs thicken a little bit, to the point that you can see the bottom of the bowl after the whisk passes by, and slowly fills back in. This may take 5-10 minutes, depending on how hot you have the stove. Remove from heat, and continue to whisk since the bowl will still be warm.

Set the bowl on the counter on top of a dish towel so it won’t move around. While still whisking, drizzle in a little bit of the clarified butter, and whisk it in. Continue to drizzle a little bit at a time, as you mix it into the sauce.

Add all of the butter, slowly whisking it in, but do not add in the white stuff at the bottom of the butter.  If it becomes too thick, finish adding all the butter, then add a half or full tablespoon of water and whisk it in to thin it a little.

Serve immediately over eggs, fish, or vegetables.  Or over crepes.  Or toast up some English muffins, and add some slightly fried ham and poached eggs, and have Eggs Benedict (which is amazing!)