Finally nailed a perfect hollandaise after 7 tries this month

I kept breaking my hollandaise at brunch service, like every weekend for 3 weeks straight. Turns out I was adding the melted butter too fast and not whisking hard enough off the heat. Yesterday I slowed way down, drizzled it in over a full 2 minutes, and it came out silky smooth. Chef actually paused and said 'that's actually right' which felt insane. Anyone else have a sauce that took way too long to click?

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jake_dixon27d ago

Oh man, "that's actually right" from a chef is basically a Michelin star moment, congrats! I had a similar thing with beurre blanc last year. I kept getting this greasy separation no matter what I did, and it drove me nuts. Turned out I was letting the shallot reduction boil too hard before adding the butter, it was all about getting it to a gentle simmer instead. When it finally worked and I got that thick, glossy sauce that coated the back of a spoon, I literally texted my mom a photo of it. There's something about emulsified butter sauces that just makes you feel like a wizard when you get them right, even if it's just for a Tuesday brunch.