# How do you guys keep hollandaise sauce hot during service?



## ChefCameron97

How do you guys keep hollandaise hot during service?


----------



## someday

You don't. You keep it warm because if it gets too hot it will split and/or curdle. 

You need to just find a warm place to store it. I've seen some people use like a thermos or something along those lines. A water bath works, too...again if it's not too hot.


----------



## Pat Pat

I find that the best way is to keep it in a Thermos.


----------



## kuan

On a shelf above the six top.


----------



## capecodchef

kuan said:


> On a shelf above the six top.


Yeah..., but for how long and is it a safe temp and do you use pasteurized eggs and...???

I may get flamed for this deservedly, but we cheat and use Knorr's with a dash of Meyer lemon juice and cayenne. We use a lot over an 8 hour shift and just can't keep a true sauce consistently. I find that many, if not most, breakfast-centric places do this.


----------



## iridium12

Pat Pat said:


> I find that the best way is to keep it in a Thermos.
> 
> View attachment 65535


Second that


----------



## Pat Pat

capecodchef said:


> I may get flamed for this deservedly, but we cheat and use Knorr's with a dash of Meyer lemon juice and cayenne.


I use Knorr too, but as a different sauce, not as Hollandaise.

I like the taste of it (a lot) but it's milk-based and tastes very different than the real thing.


----------



## redbeerd cantu

We keep it in a 1/6th pan, on the lip of the chargrill. Stir it occasionally to keep a film from developing on the top.


----------



## cheflayne

this


kuan said:


> On a shelf above the six top.


----------



## chefross

capecodchef said:


> Yeah..., but for how long and is it a safe temp and do you use pasteurized eggs and...???
> 
> I may get flamed for this deservedly, but we cheat and use Knorr's with a dash of Meyer lemon juice and cayenne. We use a lot over an 8 hour shift and just can't keep a true sauce consistently. I find that many, if not most, breakfast-centric places do this.


What do you consider to be "a lot over an 8 hour shift?" A quart? A gallon? 2 gallons?

If I make the decision to have Hollandaise on my menu, it must be made from scratch.

I have been a lot of places that use the Knorr stuff. I even worked in a DC restaurant that used it. Can you imagine making this sauce with margarine? YUCKO!

I've worked a line with 300=500 covers a night and we had the sauce on our Filets and some fish entrees.
We used real egg yolks. The line cooks knew the recipe by heart and could easily make more, right on the line while service was going on.
To answer your question.....you need to make the sauce several times during service. I use the Thermos. When I go to use a portion, I evaluate how it comes out of the Thermos. If its getting thick and cooling down, it's time for a new batch, whether 2 hours or 1/2 hour...whatever it takes.


----------



## kuan

Also, you don't need to hold it. You just need a saucier. A good saucier.


----------



## capecodchef

chefross said:


> What do you consider to be "a lot over an 8 hour shift?" A quart? A gallon? 2 gallons?
> 
> If I make the decision to have Hollandaise on my menu, it must be made from scratch.
> 
> I have been a lot of places that use the Knorr stuff. I even worked in a DC restaurant that used it. Can you imagine making this sauce with margarine? YUCKO!
> 
> I've worked a line with 300=500 covers a night and we had the sauce on our Filets and some fish entrees.
> We used real egg yolks. The line cooks knew the recipe by heart and could easily make more, right on the line while service was going on.
> To answer your question.....you need to make the sauce several times during service. I use the Thermos. When I go to use a portion, I evaluate how it comes out of the Thermos. If its getting thick and cooling down, it's time for a new batch, whether 2 hours or 1/2 hour...whatever it takes.


Depending on the day, one to two gallons. When we started I insisted on the real thing. Many customers actually complained asking "why did you change the hollandaise?" (Hard to believe I know) We run a 3 person line in very tight quarters and turn 38 seats 8-10 times in 6-7 hours. No way to do the turn we need and keep making sauce every 1 to 2 hours with everything else that must be replenished (bacon, potatoes, etc.) And no margarine in our place.


----------



## Grooked

Hollandaise doesn't need to be steaming hot to begin with. If you can keep it around 90 degrees it's perfectly fine and won't curdle or break. A thermos works or even in a covered quarter pan on a warm steam table. If you're selling it at any volume you won't need to worry about spoilage and considering most dinner services only last 4 to 5 hours you should be fine. Or you could just use the packaged powder which tends to hold up better at higher temps if quality isn't an issue.


----------



## Pat Pat

Do not keep Hollandaise at 90°F.


----------



## Grooked

Pat Pat said:


> Do not keep Hollandaise at 90°F.


Ok, I do it all the time and it's perfectly fine. What's your reasoning for not keeping it at 90 or thereabouts?


----------



## cheflayne

bacterial growth and potential of fat solidifying


----------



## Pat Pat

It's just not safe.

I know it will most likely be fine (definitely not 'perfectly fine' though), but it's against the food safety rules we should all be following.

Without introducing bacteria to it, it will probably safely lasts 5 hours.

But if a dirty spoon happens to come into contact with it, it could turn deadly in that time period.


----------



## redbeerd cantu

Grooked said:


> Ok, I do it all the time and it's perfectly fine. What's your reasoning for not keeping it at 90 or thereabouts?


I was going to be snarky in this response, but then it occurred to me that you might just lack information.

Science tells us this:

https://www.fda.gov/food/guidancere...yassistanceandtrainingresources/ucm192177.htm

Sure, the occurrence of extreme repercussions might be few and far between, but it is our duty as food professionals to consider our customers and the general population first. If not, where would we get our money from?


----------



## phaedrus

A thermos works well. Don't try to hold it more than two or three hours, not worth it. Overall though I'm kind of over holly, I'd rather do something else.


----------



## redbeerd cantu

phaedrus said:


> Overall though I'm kind of over holly, I'd rather do something else.


What do you have in mind?


----------



## Grooked

redbeerd cantu said:


> I was going to be snarky in this response, but then it occurred to me that you might just lack information.
> 
> Science tells us this:
> 
> https://www.fda.gov/food/guidancere...yassistanceandtrainingresources/ucm192177.htm
> 
> Sure, the occurrence of extreme repercussions might be few and far between, but it is our duty as food professionals to consider our customers and the general population first. If not, where would we get our money from?


As I stated previously, dinner service lasts 4 to 5 hours .Hollandaise can hold at that temp for roughly 4 hours without significant bacterial growth considering it starts out at a higher temp and won't fall into the realm of high bacteria growth on a 90 to 100 degree steam table for at least a half hour. I'm not advocating keeping the sauce beyond that point. I think everyone here is servesafe certified and understands the reprocussions of holding food at the wrong temp for too long. This isn't my first rodeo .


----------



## phaedrus

redbeerd cantu said:


> What do you have in mind?


Depends on what it's for. I like a poached egg over asp; on an omelet that wouldn't be ideal.:tongue:


----------



## cheflayne

redbeerd cantu said:


> What do you have in mind?


Puree avocado with lemon juice. To order, avocado puree and water, warm slightly, whisk in avocado oil.


----------



## jonnyhotcakes

Sous vide water bath in a ISI whip. You can just add the ingredients, the pressure will emulsify it.

If you're going to use a mix, RC Fine Foods makes the best one, IMHO.


----------



## phaedrus

jonnyhotcakes said:


> Sous vide water bath in a ISI whip. You can just add the ingredients, the pressure will emulsify it.
> 
> If you're going to use a mix, RC Fine Foods makes the best one, IMHO.


Yeah, that's about the best way I know of. Nice texture, too. If I wasn't "over" hollandaise that's how I'd be doing it. No call for it though where I'm at now.


----------



## bier chef

Insulated coffee carafe ftw


----------



## capecodchef

Pat Pat said:


> I use Knorr too, but as a different sauce, not as Hollandaise.
> 
> I like the taste of it (a lot) but it's milk-based and tastes very different than the real thing.


No longer milk based! Unilever really screwed the pooch on this Knorr product. It's now water based with powdered milk in the mix. They cut lots of butter out of the recipe as well. Really dummies down an acceptable product. Dumb move.


----------



## Luked1281

ChefCameron97 said:


> How do you guys keep hollandaise hot during service?


The same as most guys, in a thermos above and between the two heat lamps. I have also used an isi whipper, storing it in the same place, and it looks amazing, but you must have a server ready to run before the whipped hollandaise effect begins to deflate.


----------



## atl_chef

reawakening an old thread...you can hold hollandaise at 140° in a steam well/double boiler all shift no problem. it won't curdle if made properly, and and it won't break if you understand why it breaks. it breaks because of evaporation. whisk a tablespoon of water into it every hour or so (third pan quantity) and it will live as long as it's needed. yeah science!


----------



## ChefD90

Pat Pat said:


> I find that the best way is to keep it in a Thermos.
> 
> View attachment 65535


Agree i found this is the best way to do it.


----------



## PoorlyChef

Personally I will not use or eat Knorr. It's nasty and a mockery of the classic mother. As a customer, it's worth the wait for the kitchen to make more. If you can't do it right why do it at all? 

It can be held for up to four hours and then needs to be tossed. I use a thermos too. Works great and doesn't break..


----------



## Chef Sheldon

capecodchef said:


> ...we cheat and use Knorr's with a dash of Meyer lemon juice and cayenne..../QUOTE]


----------



## JustinR

ChefCameron97 said:


> How do you guys keep hollandaise hot during service?


It just needs to stay warm. You have 4 hours before you need to throw away bacteria Prone product like Hollandaise. I would recommend making it twice a day. That would give you 8 hours of use. Keep in a thermos.


----------



## pastrysautegirl

Agree with everyone saying thermos. When i worked in fine dining, this is what we did to hold pan sauces, hollandaise-- any warm, emulsified sauce. We always made everything from scratch with no chemical binders and it worked great. I now use the same method if I'm ever serving gravy in my bakery.

*also, we made sure to prime the heck out of the thermos with a couple rounds of the hottest water before using them to keep anything warm, and of course making sure no water settled in the bottom that could break your sauce.


----------



## STEPHEN WOODARD

I've always made a blender hollandaise. Keep yolks ready in deli cup in fridge and hot butter on hot shelf. Don't add much water, just use the milk solids for the salt and the liquid, lemon, tabasco. You end up finding where to put it, whether its a triple pan in the steamtable or a warm counter or shelf. Where I'm at it's definitely on a log due to the state regulations, same four hours. Pretty simple. 1 square batch takes about 2 minutes to make. Hot butter, almost at a boil with the solids streamed into blender with yolks, tabasco and lemon. Use 2 oz ladle to work the sauce....rounded bottom will not wreck the blender blade.


----------

