Microwave Hollandaise Sauce

[Cajun Cook]

Microwave Hollandaise

Makes About 1 Cup

"I love the simplicity of this recipe. In under 10 minutes I can have wonderful hollandaise sauce. I know that this is usually used in eggs benedict but I always use it for a sauce to put over marinated and grilled new york strip steaks"

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons of salted butter
• 2 Egg yolks, whites discarded
• 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
• ¼ Cup of heavy cream
• ½ Teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• ¼ Teaspoon of salt
• ⅛ Teaspoon of paprika
• 1 Small shallot, minced

Directions:

1. Place the butter and minced shallot in a Pyrex, 2-cup measuring cup and microwave on high for about 30 seconds. All the butter should be melted and have cooked the shallots somewhat. Remove from the microwave and add the lemon juice. Give it a good stir and set aside.
2. In a different small bowl, combine the egg yolks, heavy cream, mustard, salt, and paprika. Stir well to combine. Now add the cream mixture to the butter mixture in the Pyrex vessel and stir well.
3. Now place the sauce in the microwave and microwave on high for 12 to 15 second intervals. After each interval, remove from the microwave and stir. Depending on what the wattage of your microwave is, you will begin to see a ring bloom around the edge of the sauce. This will let you know that you are close to being done. Check the thickness after each stir.

Note: It is possible to break this sauce if you microwave (heat) it too much. Sometimes you can bring the sauce back by stirring in a couple of ice cubes but I usually just start with a new sauce. Also, the cooking times will very by a little depending on the wattage of your microwave. The one I use is 1100 watts. It may take a little experimenting on the times but once you get it down, you will be glad you did.

[college_cook]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but while that might be a close imitator, that's not real hollandaise. Hollandaise is an emulsion of butter, lemon juice, egg yolks, and seasonings. The shallot in that recipe is ok to add , but I believe if I looked it up it would make it a different sauce. However, the addition of the cream and mustard is to help stabilize the sauce, and while I'm unsure whether or not you can actually achieve emulsion in the microwave, the cream and mustard make that sauce decidedly not Hollandaise.

It's the same sort of reason that cream added to buerre blanc to help keep it from breaking is not buerre blanc, but it becomes beurre nantais, or Sauce Nantes I believe.

The use of cream as a stabilizing agent is a point of contention among some cooks. I believe that if you need to add cream to your buerre blanc to keep it from breaking, then you're not making buerre blanc, and you aren't properly emulsifying, and therefore not properly making the sauce. But lets face it, tons of [otherwise] respectable restaurant kitchens use the practice of adding cream to buerre blanc to stabilize it, and still call it buerre blanc. I nag my sous chef every time he adds cream to buerre blanc so he can keep the sauce in a squeeze bottle for the night's service rather than making it to order like it should be done. He hates it, but he also knows I'm right, which is probably the only reason I haven't gotten yelled at for pestering him about it. I suppose I'm just a stickler for technique.

[jet]

I wanted to try Hollandaise, so I used this recipe which says up front that it is not a true Hollandaise. If you cannot tell the difference at the table, does it matter what happens in the kitchen (within reason, of course)?

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by jet

I wanted to try Hollandaise, so I used this recipe which says up front that it is not a true Hollandaise. If you cannot tell the difference at the table, does it matter what happens in the kitchen (within reason, of course)?

I think it makes a difference.

Why did you choose that recipe? If you're going to make the effort to make that recipe, why not make the real thing?

[bowlingshirt]

I don't think real hollandaise sauce is that difficult to make. However, I don't have a double boiler, I just put a stainless steel bowl on top of a pot, so I guess it's still not the real thing.

[kitchenelf]

Originally Posted by bowlingshirt

I don't think real hollandaise sauce is that difficult to make. However, I don't have a double boiler, I just put a stainless steel bowl on top of a pot, so I guess it's still not the real thing.

If it looks like a double boiler and acts like a double boiler Just because it's not a "matching set" doesn't mean it's not a double boiler. My "matching set" double boiler has this silly little indented ring in it that drives me nuts so I invariably use a bowl of some kind to sit on the pot.

[GrillingFool]

Semantics.
If it's good going down, and your diners are happy, then perhaps worrying about the "reality" of the Hollandaise sauce is a bit over the top.

I use an imitation Hollydaze sauce made from yogurt. Tastes good, healthier, everyone is happy, and we still call it Hollandaise.

If one is cooking for paying customers or an in-law, perhaps it would matter.....


(OK, so we actually call it Hollydaze sauce...)

[jet]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

I think it makes a difference.

Why did you choose that recipe? If you're going to make the effort to make that recipe, why not make the real thing?

I do not have a double boiler, and I did not want to buy one just to try this sauce.

[college_cook]

Originally Posted by jet

I do not have a double boiler, and I did not want to buy one just to try this sauce.

All you need is a metal or glass bowl held over a pot of simmering water.

[Loprraine]

Heck, I make mine in the Cuisinart. A Joy of Cooking recipe from years ago. Works every time.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by GrillingFool

Semantics.
If it's good going down, and your diners are happy, then perhaps worrying about the "reality" of the Hollandaise sauce is a bit over the top.

I use an imitation Hollydaze sauce made from yogurt. Tastes good, healthier, everyone is happy, and we still call it Hollandaise.

If one is cooking for paying customers or an in-law, perhaps it would matter.....


(OK, so we actually call it Hollydaze sauce...)

No question, you can make and serve any sauce with any ingredients you want. Taste is the final arbiter.

Just don't call it Hollandaise.

[Cajun Cook]

Exactly GrillingFool, I will enjoy my sauce while others spend their time worrying about semantics. One thing I would like to point out to the others though, where do they think butter comes from? Never thought of making a "Hollandaise" sauce with yogurt. Did you post the recipe? I would love to see it.

Jim

Originally Posted by GrillingFool

Semantics.
If it's good going down, and your diners are happy, then perhaps worrying about the "reality" of the Hollandaise sauce is a bit over the top.

I use an imitation Hollydaze sauce made from yogurt. Tastes good, healthier, everyone is happy, and we still call it Hollandaise.

If one is cooking for paying customers or an in-law, perhaps it would matter.....


(OK, so we actually call it Hollydaze sauce...)

[Cajun Cook]

Some people spend their time worrying about cooking, others just spend their time enjoying cooking....and eating. Nuff said. I have never seen a food processor version. Would love to see it.

Jim

[DrThunder88]

Most interesting recipe! I don't think I'll abandon the "bowl over boiling water" routine just yet, but that is definitely a step in advancing sauce technology!

If I may ask, why the use of salted butter?

And I save those whites. Using a silicone cupcake mold, they can be frozen into handy disks to be thawed for later use!

[Cajun Cook]

Hi DrThunder,

I am guessing the recipe calls for salted butter because it is a quick sauce that can be made with minimal time and fuss. That being said, I am sure unsalted could be used and adjusted to taste.

Jim