Michel Roux's hollandaise sauce recipe

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Michel Roux's creamy and classic hollandaise sauce recipe is a perfect with fish like salmon or in eggs Benedict. This recipe serves 6 people

Michel Roux's hollandaise sauce
(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)
  • Vegetarian
Serves6
Preparation Time10 mins
Cooking Time15 mins
Total Time25 mins (plus cooling time)
Cost RangeCheap

Learn how to make this delicious hollandaise sauce by celeb chef Michel Roux in just a few simple steps.

Michel Roux's hollandaise sauce recipe serves 6 people and will take around 25 mins to prepare and cook (plus cooling time). Hollandaise sauce is delicious and it is so easy to rustle up when using this simple recipe. Michel Roux makes this sauce extra thick and creamy by using egg yolks and butter.

Hollandaise sauce is used as a finishing sauce for certain dishes including smoked salmon, poached fish or in classic brunch recipes like eggs Benedict.

Ingredients

  • 1tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1tsp white peppercorns, crushed
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 250g butter, clarified (melted butter with the milk solids and water removed), cooled to tepid
  • Salt to taste
  • Juice of ½ lemon

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. In a thick-bottomed stainless steel or copper saucepan, mix the wine vinegar with 4tbsp of cold water and the crushed peppercorns. Let it bubble to reduce by one-third, then leave to cool completely. Add the egg yolks to the cold reduction and mix with a whisk.
  2. Put the saucepan on a heat diffuser over a very low heat and continue whisking, making sure that the whisk comes into contact with the bottom of the pan.
  3. Gradually increase the heat so that the sauce emulsifies progressively, becoming very smooth and creamy after 8-10 mins. Do not allow the temperature of the sauce to rise above 65°C.
  4. Off the heat and still whisking, pour in the tepid clarified butter in a steady stream. Season the sauce with salt. At the last moment, stir in the lemon juice. Pass the sauce through a muslin-lined chinois to eliminate the crushed peppercorns if required, then serve immediately.
Top Tip for making Michel Roux's hollandaise sauce

Hollandaise sauce can't be kept waiting, so serve it as soon as it is made, or keep it covered for a short time in a warm place if you must.

It's best to keep the sauce warm until its ready to be served for the best quality. Once your sauce has been used and you're ready to store it, you'll need to find an airtight container. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. We'd recommend using the sauce on the day to guarantee the best freshness. To reheat hollandaise sauce you'll need to do this on a low heat. Heat in stages to make sure you don't cook the eggs or spoil the sauce. Add to a pan and warm gently on the heat stirring continuously. You could alternatively pour into a microwavable bowl and reheat on the lowest setting in small bursts.

Hollandaise sauce has a thick, creamy consistency with a tangy flavour. The lemon and white peppercorn give this hollandaise sauce a real kick of flavour. The richness of the egg yolks give this sauce a creamy-like flavour. Pair with smoked salmon or drizzle over asapargus to enhance the flavours of the sauce.

Michel Roux Jr.
Michelin-starred celebrity chef

Michel Roux Jr. was born in Kent where he was brought up around cooking. His earliest memories are playing in the kitchens where his father, the famous Albert Roux, worked as a private chef for the Cazelet family. He left school at 16 and worked he was around the Paris restaurant scene learning how to cook his now signature style of classic French food with a modern twist. 

In 1991 Michel took over his father and uncle’s restaurant La Gavroche. It has since been awarded three Michelin stars- the first ever in the UK- and was the first-ever Michelin-starred restaurant to offer a set-price lunch to make fine dining more accessible. Michel is now best known for presenting BBC’s Masterchef: The Professionals and the ‘Great British Food Revival.’ Michel also has a number of best-selling recipe books, including  The French Revolution, which aims to teach you simple yet delicious French recipes from scratch. If you’re looking to impress your friends and family with tasty dishes, sauces, and pastries, try our Michel Roux Jr's recipes.