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Hollandaise, Bearnaise, Foyot, and egg based sauces

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    Hollandaise, Bearnaise, Foyot, and egg based sauces

    I have been experimenting with egg based sauces for my next book, especially Hollandaise. Hollandaise is the most famous classic egg sauce, one of the original French "mother sauces" and it has two derivative children, Béarnaise Sauce, and Foyot Sauce. They are superb on spring asparagus from the grill, grilled salmon and other fishies, Crab Imperial, broccoli, and of course, Eggs Benedict. Béarnaise is served on steak all over France, it’s wonderful on potatoes, and it can be used wherever you use Hollandaise. Ditto for Foyot. Try them on a burger!

    Hollandaise Sauce is the most famous classic egg sauce, one of the original French "mother sauces" and it has two derivative children, Béarnaise Sauce, and Foyot Sauce.

    They are complex marvels of chemistry, emulsions of liquids that don’t like each other. The whites are mostly water with some protein mixed in while the yolks, from which chicks get their nutrition, are mostly fat with lots of vitamins and minerals. The traditional method is fussy and fraught with hazard. The original pre-electricity method says egg yolks must be hand whisked in a bowl on top of a pot of simmering water, a double boiler, warming them and moving the bowl on and off the heat to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Then cubes of butter are added a little at a time whisking all the way. Then lemon juice and salt are added.

    There are easier ways using a blender or a stick blender, so I’m not going to bother you with the old fashioned labor intensive double boiler method. Here are some modern methods for making Hollandaise followed by it’s siblings, Béarnaise and Foyot Sauces. You pick.

    How to separate an egg
    Most of these recipe call for separating the egg yolk from the white. Don’t worry if you get a little of the clear whites in. No harm no foul if the recipe calls for just yolks. On the other hand, if you have a recipe that calls for only whites, such as meringues, even a few drops of yolk can sabotage you. Here are several methods from my least favorite to my favorite.

    In the shell. The classic method is to crack the egg in the center, split it open, and slide the yolk from one half shell to the other. It works, but it is easy to puncture the yolk on the sharp edges of the shell. I don’t recommend it.

    In your hand. Another method is to crack the egg and dump the contents into your clean hand. Hold your hand over a bowl and slightly separate your fingers so the whites can slide into the bowl leaving the yolk in your fingers. This works pretty well, but some eggs have very thick whites that don’t easily detach from the yolk.

    In a slotted spoon. Another method is to crack the egg and slip the contents into a large slotted spoon. This works pretty well and is much less messy than using your fingers.

    With a tablespoon. Crack the egg into a bowl and with a tablespoon, gently lift the yolk out.

    With a plastic bottle. Crack the eggs and dump the contents into a bowl. Take a clean plastic water bottle without a cap. And squeeze in the sides. Put the mouth of the bottle gently on the yolk and release the sides pulling a vaccum. Slurrrrp, the yolk gets sucked in unbroken! This is my favorite method.

    Reheating
    These egg-based sauces all should be served immediately. If there is to be a delay, put it in a double boiler or in a bowl in a pot of simmering water to keep it warm. If you made a lot, warm a thermos bottle with hot water and pour it in.
    Despite what you may have read, they can be cooled, even frozen, and reheated but you have to be careful or they will separate and, like Humpty Dumpty, they are hard to put back together. Heck, I have even served them room temp as a mousse-like dip or cold as a spread. They’re pretty good that way!

    If you have leftover, refrigerate it for up to a week. Then

    Zap it. The easiest method is to set your microwave on the lowest power and zap it for 10 seconds. Stir it with a fork and taste. If you want it warmer (but don’t shoot for hot), give it another 10 seconds.

    Double boiler. Another method is to put it in a double boiler or a in a bowl on top of a pot of simmering water.

    Sous vide. You can also put it in a zipper bag, jar, or bowl in a sous vide bath at 140°F.

    Almost Julia’s Hollandaise
    In her definitive book "Mastering The Art Of French Cooking" Julia Child teaches how to do it the original way with a double boiler and she encourages us to master it in order to gain an understanding of the technique. But then she gives us a hack that must have curdled the blood of her Cordon Bleu instructors. She uses a blender. The results are superb, and there is almost no way for the sauce to break so it will lead to less frustration. Julia says even an 8 year old can do this. I have made modest changes to make it so a 7 year old can do it, and a bit more to my tastes. You can modify it too. Want it richer, add another egg yolk. Zippier, add more lemon juice and/or white pepper.

    If you have a stick blender, use it as does Kenji Lopez-Alt, the New York Times columnist, author of the marvelous book, "The Food Lab," and author of the foreword to my last book. It is even easier as is cleanup. I have included the stick blender method in the recipe.

    I have even included a method that uses sous vide. It for sure pasteurizes the egg yolks, eliminating any risk, and recommended for children, elderly, and immune compromised.

    Variations. There are many versions of the recipe. Some call for clarified butter but I think whole butter tastes better. If you want it richer, add another yolk. Some recipes call for replacing the lemon juice with a shallot and 1/4 cup lemon juice or white wine vinegar or both, simmered down to 1 tablespoon much as we do with the beurre blanc (page ???) or the Bearnaise (page ???). Although it is not traditional, I sometimes like to add a few pinches of chipotle, cayenne powder, hot sauce, or smoked paprika.

    Makes. 4 servings
    Takes. 20 minutes
    Special tools. A stand blender or a stick blender

    2 large egg yolks
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    1/2 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
    1/4 teaspoon white pepper
    6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

    About the white pepper. You can use black if you don’t have white, but your sauce will have black specs. Nothing evil there.

    1a) Blenderize. Pour the yolks, water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, into a stand blender.

    1b) Stick it. If you wish to use a stick blender, pour the above ingredients into a cup just wider than the business end of a stick blender.

    1c) Sous Vide it. This method insures that the egg is pasteurized. Add the yolks, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a super clean 8 ounce jelly jar.

    2) Melt. Cut the butter into about 6 parts and put it into a small saucepan and melt it on a low temperature. When it is melted, bring it to a boil for no more than 30 seconds. Don’t worry, it won’t go over 212°F because it has water in it.

    3a) For a stand blender. If you are using a stand blender, put the lid on it, turn it to medium high, and slowly, very slowly, drizzle in the hot butter. I use a small ladle. After about 30 seconds the sauce should be thick and silky.
    3b| For a stick blender. Pour the hot butter into a measuring cup with a pouring spout. Place the head of the immersion blender into the bottom of the cup with the egg and turn it on. With the blender running, slowly pour in the hot butter until all butter is added and the sauce is thick, about 30 seconds.

    3c) For sous vide. Add the butter to the jar, stir it a bit with a fork, and tighten the lid. Sous vide at 145°F for 90 minutes to 3 hours. Remove the jar when it is serving time and whup it up with an immersion blender or in a stand blender for about 30 seconds.

    4) Taste. When it is all done, stick in a spoon, taste, adjust the salt and pepper and lemon juice as needed. If it is too thick, blend in a small amount of warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

    Grant Crilly’s Innovation
    Chef Grant Crilly runs ChefSteps.com one of the great food websites and he was on the team that wrote the six volume tome "Modernist Cuisine." He really understands the physics and chemistry of cooking and few recipes depend on chemistry like Hollandaise.

    He deviates from the standard recipe by using whole eggs, not just yolks. He says "The whites of the eggs actually help to make a more stable emulsion than egg yolks alone, it also makes a fluffier sauce, adds brightness to the flavor, and lightness of your dish." I have tried it and it is true. This method make a larger quantity of sauce, the color is a bit paler, and the flavor a bit lighter.

    The method is pretty much the same as above. If you wish, you can do it with a stick blender or sous vide.

    Makes. 6 servings
    Takes. 20 minutes
    Special tools. A stand blender or a stick blender

    2 large whole eggs
    1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    1/2 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
    1/4 teaspoon white pepper
    8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter

    1| Blend. Pour the yolks, water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, into a stand blender.

    2| Melt. Cut the butter into about 8 parts and put it into a small saucepan and melt it on a low temperature. When it is melted, bring it to a boil for no more than 30 seconds. Don’t worry, it won’t go over 212°F because it has water in it.

    3| For a stand blender. If you are using a stand blender, put the lid on it, turn it to medium high, and slowly, very slowly, drizzle in the hot butter. I use a small ladle. After about 30 seconds the sauce should be thick and silky.

    4| Taste. When it is all done, stick in a spoon, taste, adjust the salt and pepper and lemon juice as needed. If it is too thick, blend in a small amount of warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

    Shhhhh, Don’t Tell Anyone Hollandaise
    Knorr and other companies sell darned good powdered almost instant Hollandaise. I’ve gotta tell ya, the Knorr is pretty darn good. A famous French chef in whose restaurant kitchen I trained used it all the time and I never heard a complaint. Shhhh.

    Makes. 1 1/2 cups
    Takes. 20 minutes
    Special tools. A stand blender or a stick blender

    1 cup milk
    1 packet of Knorr Hollandaise Sauce Mix
    1/4 cup butter or margarine

    Pour the milk in a saucepan and turn on the heat. Add the powder and whisk until incorporated. If you wish, add a pinch of chipotle or cayenne powder or hot sauce. Add the butter or margarine, turn the heat up and bring to a boil. Whisk until it comes to a boil then immediately back the heat down to a simmer. Stir until uniform and thick, about 1 minute. Serve immediately, or pour into to a small pot or cup with a lid and keep in a warm place for up to an hour before serving.

    Bearnaise By The Book
    Here’s how to do a classic Bearnaise by the book. Here’s the cool part: You can make the reduction in step (1) weeks in advance and store it in the fridge. You can even make a lot of it and simply take out what you need when you need it. Then you can have a finished sauce in 15 minutes.

    Makes. 4 servings
    Takes. 45 minutes
    Special tools. A stand blender or a stick blender

    1 medium shallot
    2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, chopped or 1 tablespoon dried tarragon leaves
    1/2 cup dry white wine
    1/4 cup white wine vinegar
    1/2 teaspoon Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
    1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper if you don’t have white)
    2 large egg yolks
    2 tablespoon water
    6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

    1| Make the reduction. Mince the shallot and tarragon very fine. Put the shallot, tarragon, wine, vinegar, salt, and pepper into a saucepan and reduce it to about 3 tablespoons of liquid. Pour it through a strainer into a blender and with a spoon or ladle, press the shallots and tarragon to get out all the liquid.

    2| Butter it up. Cut the butter into abut 6 parts and put it into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil for no more than 30 seconds, swirling often. Don’t worry, it won’t go over 212°F because it has water in it. When it boils, turn the heat off.

    3| Whirrrr. Pour the yolks and water into the blender. Put on the lid, turn the blender on low and when everything is blended, turn it to high and very slowly drizzle in the hot butter. I use a ladle. When all the butter is in and everything is homogenous, if it is too thick, blend in a small amount of warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Lick your finger and taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper and vinegar as needed.

    Easy Bearnaise Sauce
    Chef Frederik de Pue, a Belgian who is a private chef and caterer in DC, created a simple hack that results in something awfully close to classic Bearnaise that is pasteurized and can be kept in the fridge longer. I first heard of it in an NPR broadcast by Nina Totenberg. I have made a few minor modifications.

    Makes. 2 servings
    Takes. 40 minutes
    Special tools. Hand mixer

    3 tablespoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice
    1 large shallot
    4 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 tablespoons dry tarragon
    6 tablespoons of mayonnaise
    1 pinch of Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
    1 pinch of white pepper
    1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    1 tablespoons cream
    Warm water

    1| Reduce. Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan. Chop the shallot and tarragon very fine and add it. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer until the shallots are transparent and the vinegar has all evaporated and been absorbed. Let it cool.

    2| Finish. In bowl, mix the mayonnaise, salt, white pepper, and turmeric. Mix well and gradually add the reduction. Whip the cream until it forms a foam and gently fold it into the sauce. Add a few drops of warm water if needed to give the sauce a smooth finish. Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar.

    Shhhhh, Don’t Tell Anyone Bearnaise
    To make a quick and dirty Bearnaise Sauce, start with Hollandaise with Julia’s or Grant’s recipe. Chop fine 12 leaves fresh tarragon, and after you are done blending, stir them in with a spoon. Simple.

    Foyot Sauce
    To make a Foyot Sauce, make Hollandaise and whisk in 2 tablespoons of chicken or beef soup base before the butter is added.
    Last edited by Meathead; April 8, 2022, 01:13 PM.

    #2
    How to pasteurize an egg
    Eggs can easily become contaminated with salmonella in the hen and in the henhouse so they should either be pasteurized if they are to be used raw for dishes like egg nog. There is even a small risk when making soft boiled, sunnyside, or poached eggs. The risk is not great but there is a risk, especially for children, elderly, or immune compromised. The Hollandaise process mixes chilled raw yolks with at least twice as much boiling butter, reducing the risk slightly. To eliminate risk completely, use pasteurized eggs for partially cooked egg dishes. Pasteurized eggs are sold in some stores but they are hard to find. The good news is they are not hard to make yourself if you have a sous vide machine.

    Eggs are very heat sensitive. The whites start to coagulate at about 140°F, and yolks at about 147°F. If you are making an egg based sauce, blending with butter, milk, or other liquids raises the temp of coagulation. To pasteurize without cooking eggs, sous vide in the shell at 135°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

    But if you want a pasteurized yolk for Hollandaise preheat the water to 145°F, separate the yolks and slip them into a zipper bag and slip them into the water for 45 minutes. The yolks will emerge pasteurized, warm, brilliant yellow, and runny, ready for the blender.

    How to make the perfect soft boiled egg
    To make the perfect soft boiled egg that is pasteurized with jiggly milky whites that are not slimy, and warm runny bright yellow yolks, put them in a mesh strainer or Tupperware to keep them from banging against the pan and cracking or better still, sous vide them in the shell at precisely 145°F for 45 minutes and then shock them in cold water for 1 minute to stop the cooking. You can even refrigerate them then and when it is time to serve reheat at 131°F for 30 minutes. Remember, both time and temp matter so don’t cook them too long.

    Comment


    • Chipshot7
      Chipshot7 commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks MH. As always, incredible information

    • perry green
      perry green commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks!!!

    #3
    Thanks for sharing this. Not something I would ordinarily do at home, but I think I'll start working these sauces in.

    "Don't get saucy with me, Béarnaise" - Harvey Korman
    Last edited by CaptainMike; March 31, 2022, 05:57 PM.

    Comment


      #4
      The stick blender method is so so easy. That's definitely the way to go.

      Comment


        #5
        I have made Kenji's bearnaise sauce several times with the stick blender. It is easy and delicious.

        DEW

        Comment


          #6
          Much appreciated! Will reference this until the book comes out. Liked the mentioning of two of my faves, Julia & Kenji.
          Whenever I hear hollandaise sauce I always remember my first days in Alaska, some 30 years ago. It was the second day and we were still recovering from the lag and in Anchorage. We decided to go to some local eatery. We had ordered and we’re waiting for our meal. We were somewhat close to the waitresses station and a waitress called out an order of eggs Benedict with "holiday" sauce. Found out later the waitress was from Kentucky. Not that there is anything wrong with Kentucky or waitresses. 🕶
          Last edited by FireMan; April 8, 2022, 01:40 PM.

          Comment


            #7
            Impressive MH. This is going to be quite a cook book.

            Comment


              #8
              I see with Grant's Hollandaise Innovation, that he uses whole eggs. However the recipe below that paragraph still calls for egg yolks. Am I reading this correctly, or should I have passed on that glass of wine at dinner tonight?

              Kathryn

              Edited to add: Well it still says "two large egg yolks" in Grant's whole egg Hollandaise recipe. Hmmmm. Meathead
              Last edited by fzxdoc; April 2, 2022, 10:13 AM.

              Comment


              • Meathead
                Meathead commented
                Editing a comment
                Arrrrgggh. I just fixed it. Thanks!

              #9
              Used a stick blender once, now I won’t do it any other way. Super fast, easy, foolproof. Same for any Mayo or aioli.

              Comment


                #10
                Saturday breakfast MUST now be Eggs Benedict. Thanks!

                Comment


                  #11
                  Nice write-up! A bar we used to frequent would grill tri-tip and serve with Bernaise as sliders during Stroll and Savor events. So much fun!

                  Comment


                  • CaptainMike
                    CaptainMike commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Hah, I was thinking tri tip with béarnaise as well, maybe with some cracked pepper mixed in. Off to the meat locker to fetch a TT for Sunday supper! Thanks for the nudge.

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