How to Make Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise sauce can dress up a meal like no other, and making it doesn’t have to be hard work.

On television, you've probably seen chefs expertly whipping up hollandaise sauce, explaining in detail the many steps, tips and tools required to make a smooth sauce that doesn't break. Lucky for you, blenders exist to make the whole process a little bit easier.

Yes, friends, you can make hollandaise sauce without a culinary degree. In fact, you don't even need a whisk, just a few ingredients, a small pot and a blender.


Start by melting 10 tablespoons of butter in a small pot under low heat. Then, toss three egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper into your blender and turn it on medium speed for 20 or 30 seconds. Your mixture should be pale yellow and frothy, and will get lighter the more you blend it.

This next part requires a steady hand. With your blender on its lowest setting, slowly pour the melted butter into the egg yolk mixture. How slow? Slow, as in, a drizzle. Don't get antsy and just dump it in. Remember: Patience is a virtue in French cooking.

Once the butter is totally incorporated, taste your sauce to make sure it's to your liking. Not lemony enough? Squeeze in more lemon. Bland? Add some salt or pepper. Too thick? Pour in a little bit of warm water. Once your additions are in there, blend it again for 10 seconds or so until you have perfection in sauce form.

The question isn't what you can do with hollandaise, but rather what can't you do with the rich, creamy French sauce. It's obvious to say that you could pour the velvety mixture over English muffins, ham and poached eggs for your everyday Eggs Benedict, but you can probably do better than that.