Synopsis: We made beef consomme as one of the soups for today. It was an interesting, but really convoluted process that I’m not in the mood for today. (Plus, consomme is something that most home cooks aren’t jumping up and down to learn about, so I don’t think you’ll be too upset.) I may still write about it in the future, though, so don’t worry too much!
Instead, let’s look at another mother sauce, hollandaise. This sauce is the base of many other famous sauces, and it’s really handy to know. It takes a little practice, but once you get it down, it’s a cinch. You can whip it up in the amount of time it takes to boil water. Since ratios do make a difference in preparing this sauce, I’ll give general guidance for the most important ingredients.
Recipe: Hollandaise
- Egg yolks (3-4)
- Water (1 tablespoon)
- White wine (1 1/2 tablespoon)
- Butter, melted (clarified is best, 1/2 – 2/3 cup)
- Lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
- Salt to taste
First, get some water boiling in a wide pot. Whip the egg yolks together with the water and wine in a metal mixing bowl until smooth. (For some variation and stronger flavors, you can spice up the wine by adding scallions and herbs and reducing it in a sautee pan.) Continue whipping while dipping the bottom of the mixing bowl in the boiling water. To avoid overcooking, just dip it in for a few seconds at a time. You don’t want scrambled eggs! Whip fast until it gets frothy and thick, and take it away from the heat. Pour in the butter in a thin stream while whipping the hollandaise. When all the butter is incorporated, add the lemon juice and salt. You’re done! And now that you’ve perfected this, check out all the derivatives of hollandaise that are at your disposal!
And don’t get too discouraged if you ended up with a pile of curdled mush. It takes practice! Take it slow, try again, and let me know if you have questions. Bon appetit!