Finally nailed my hollandaise after a year of it breaking on me

I used to make it in a big metal bowl over a pot, and it would split half the time, especially during a busy brunch shift. About two months ago, I started using the blender method my friend showed me, with just a splash of hot water at the end to bring it together. It's foolproof now and saves me a solid five minutes per batch. Has anyone else found a kitchen trick that saved a classic sauce for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice9912mo ago

My buddy's gravy was always lumpy. He uses a whisk and a cold pan now.

zara_perez6213d ago

Oh come ON, cold pan method is just asking for MORE lumps. You're basically warming up fat and flour together which means the flour has time to clump up before liquid hits it. A HOT pan is way better because the fat sizzles and the flour instantly fries, creating a smooth paste that blends right in. Plus whisking is the ENTIRE point, you need that constant motion to break up any forming clumps. Cold pan technique leads to this weird grainy texture that a proper whisk and hot butter would NEVER give you. I tried it cold once and ended up with lumps that looked like cottage cheese floating in my pan.

wood.andrew2mo ago

It's funny how often the "proper" way to do something is just the hard way. Finding a simpler method that actually works feels like a small win against the world's pointless rules.