Michel Roux's hollandaise sauce recipe

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

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.

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.