# Reheating Hollandaise Sause



## handofike (Mar 28, 2011)

Hi,

I hope someone can help, I'm going to be making Eggs Benedict for someone special on Saturday, I'm not confident to make my own Hollandaise just yet (and it's not going to be my kitchen) so I've bought some good quality sauce in a jar....

Can someone tell me the best way to reheat it to serve?

Many thanks

Ike


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

The jar should have directions.

However, I think the concept of good quality hollandaise in a jar is self contradictory.  And you can't really reheat hollandaise. What's in the jar can probably be reheated but it I doubt you'll get support for it being a real hollandaise.

Hollandaise isn't really hard. Make it, strain it to remove the imperfect parts and move on. You'll get better making it with only a little practice.


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## handofike (Mar 28, 2011)

Your right... I have time, I can do a few test runs at making my own... Keep the jar for backup in case it's a flop.

Thanks


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Many recipes call for 3 yolks. While you're practicing, you can scale it down to save waste. On the other hand that means you have to be more attentive to temperature and whisking.

I usually only make a small batch based on 1 yolk as i don't need a lot of the sauce.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that you can hold hollandaise.

In the case of Benedict, boil the water for the eggs. Pour some into a thermos to "preheat it". Empty the thermos and add your hollandaise. It will hold for up to an hour (varies by thermos and such). That can simplify things at the end when you want everything perfect and ready to go.


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## handofike (Mar 28, 2011)

The thermos idea is great and would certainly take timing pressures off so I can concentrate on making everything else perfect as poss.

Your a star thanks so much!!


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

By law(health dept) in some states hollandaise must be discarded after the service. A jar one has stabilizers and i reality is a mock hollandaise so just follow directions on jar for whatever brand Knorr has one way Eno has another


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## deacon (Jan 13, 2011)

You will get more satisfaction from using a from scratch hollandaise, otherwise you're just saying "thank you". Hollandaise is a base recipe. If you have any culinary intuitive, you can make it flawlessly everytime. Just follow the basic rules and you'll be fine.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

I absolutely agree you should make it from scratch. Make your life a lot easier and use raw butter instead of clarified butter. Tastes better (of butter...) and much quicker to make. Just try and see.

- Use 2 eggyolks (1 eggyolk is difficult to work with, 3 may be too much for 2 persons), add 2 not too full tbsp of water and a teaspoon of lemonjuice. Whisk without warming, just to mix.

- put on a low fire and whisk the mixture vigorously until all fluid has disappeared and the mixture is almost doubled in volume. Important; put on quite a low fire and take the pan on and of the fire while doing this to avoid making an omelette.

- add some cold butter in small cubes (10-15mm size), 50-75 gram is more than enough! From the fire; whisk butter in a few at  time. Put on/off the fire again if needed, careful or it will split. 

Add s&p and a few more drops of lemonjuice if needed. Don't worry about temperature., a Hollandaise is served luke-warm.

Really no more than 5-10 minutes to make, depending how good you are at whisking and how high you allow the heating to be (don't be too much of a dare devil with the heat).

Also, make sure your butter cubes are standby. Leaving the eggmixure in a hotpan while doing something else is not advised. The eggs will cook further in the still very hot pan.

Enjoy!


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## timg (Feb 18, 2011)

Hi,

It only takes 5 minutes to make hollandaise using direct high heat.  A fully cooked hollandaise can be reheated in warm water.


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## duckfat (Aug 7, 2008)

Hollandaise should be made from clarified butter. If you are not clarifying the butter you are using the solids which will give you a different texture. While this may still be better than mixes or pre-made products why cut corners if you are going to make sauce from scratch? The only reason "raw" butter would taste different is if you are using the "solids" from salted butter.

Any one starting with Hollandaise should use a double boiler to make their sauce instead of trying to cook directly over a heat source. Makes life a lot easier until you refine your technique.

Any Jar or Knorr-swiss mix has enough stabilizer that you can hold it right in a bain-marie.


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## wineandfood (Mar 29, 2011)

But if you ARE going to use the jar Hollandaise, I would try heating it slowly in a double boiler. And, I'd do a dress rehearsal this week before the big gig, otherwise you may end having to call for a pizza!


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

I agree clarified butter and melted hot at that. Also a drop of cayenne pepper. I do in a blender


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## augustus (Apr 2, 2011)

I am not going to lie.  In school this week, I made hollandaise for the first time.  It is easy.  Just take you time making it and you will love the additional sauces that you can make afterwards once you have mastered making the hollandaise.


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## uberathlete (Mar 31, 2011)

You might want to try making cooked hollandaise a la Marco Pierre White. Looks safer. Youtube it.


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## benway (May 24, 2009)

A cook I used to work with would make hollandaise by lighting a sterno and placing it under the bowl of a stand mixer.  Pretty clever although not at all applicable when making hollandaise for two.


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## gunnar (Apr 3, 2008)

benway said:


> A cook I used to work with would make hollandaise by lighting a sterno and placing it under the bowl of a stand mixer. Pretty clever although not at all applicable when making hollandaise for two.


I had a chef that just used a blowtorch along the sides and bottom


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## chefwa (Apr 6, 2011)

hollandaise is a dangerous sauce due to the raw eggs. i wouldnt hold it for more than 40mins.I am a professional chef with my red seal and ccc. so ya i know. Also i made a 96 on the redseal so if anyone has any problems getting ready for it maybe i can help


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

chefwa said:


> hollandaise is a dangerous sauce due to the raw eggs. ..


Hm, guess I've been making it wrong all these years /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif, yes, the egg yolks a raw when I start but I don't think they are raw when I finish, 5-10 minutes at 140°F or slightly higher, and I use hot clarified butter.


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## chefbuba (Feb 17, 2010)

chefwa said:


> hollandaise is a dangerous sauce due to the raw eggs. i wouldnt hold it for more than 40mins.I am a professional chef with my red seal and ccc. so ya i know. Also i made a 96 on the redseal so if anyone has any problems getting ready for it maybe i can help


I would guess that you are fresh out of culinary school, as your second post brags about your qualifications "I am a professional chef with my red seal and ccc. so ya i know. Also i made a 96 on the redseal"

Hollandaise is going to kill you. That's another one of those things that the food police have instilled in you . I have been making it for 30 years and no one has gotten sick or died from it.

I'm all about food safety, good hygiene and sanitation in the kitchen, but when the health dept is going to dictate how and what we cook, I draw the line.

I'll have my beef rare with hollandaise please.


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## redzuk (Dec 7, 2010)

I dont know what the redseal is. How much lemon juice or vinegar do you need to use per yolk to get the ph to a safe level?  

 It was once common to reuse the butter for a couple days.  Break the sauce the next day and use the butter in the fresh batch.  Its important to use enough acid, and to use enough liquid to be able to get the yolks hot enough before they coagulate.


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

I'm a home cook. I've not been professionally trained. I also love Hollandaise so I figured out a way to make it without a lot of fuss.

1.  Choose a small, heavy sauce pan. Add enough water to come halfway up the side of a one or two cup Pyrex measure. Bring the water to a boil (without the Pyrex cup in it), then turn it down to a simmer,.

2. Put two egg yolks in the Pyrex measuring cup. Add 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (I like it tangy) and whisk to combine.

3. Melt 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter. Whisk the egg mixture while drizzling the hot butter into the cup.

4. Continue whisking; set the cup in the simmering water. Continue whisking vigorously until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat; add salt and pepper to taste, plus a shake or two of Tabasco sauce.

The trick is to never let the whisk stop moving! I've never had this sauce break. If it did, I'd hit it with the immersion blender.


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## timg (Feb 18, 2011)

Hi,

If a sabayon sauce is properly cooked, it may be reheated in microwave on the lowest setting.  Heating for 30 second periods and stirring to distribute the sauce helps.  

An uneven microwave can overheat a portion of the sauce.

Tim


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