Hollandaise

[Jess]

Hey there! Could anyone tell me where I can get gluten-free hollandaise or an easy recipe how to make it? Thanks!

[eKatherine]

Real hollandaise is a bit of a tricky thing to make. It's much easier to make if you've got somebody else showing you. If you make it a few times, you'll get the hang of it. It takes me about 10 minutes in all.

Hollandaise sauce

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon water

3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to barely warm

fresh lemon juice

Make this just before you need it.

First, you're going to need a bain-marie, an improvised double boiler. This will be a small stainless steel bowl that fits in a small pot you will fill with water and bring to a simmer. Put the egg yolk and water in the bowl, whisk, and set over the simmering water. Immediately lower the temperature to very low. If you have an electric stove you'll be better using two burners preset at the desired temperature. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to thicken slightly. Then slowly dribble in the melted butter, whisking, and continue to whisk until the sauce is almost as thick as mayonnaise. Immediately remove from over the hot water, add lemon juice to taste, and add salt if it needs more. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

[corinne]

I can't tolerate butter (too much casein) or margarine (corn, safflower etc intolerance). Can you make hollandaise with olive oil instead? It's my favourite sauch for fish and I really miss it.

[gfp]

  corinne said:

I can't tolerate butter (too much casein) or margarine (corn, safflower etc intolerance). Can you make hollandaise with olive oil instead? It's my favourite sauch for fish and I really miss it.

Any oil will do but olive oil is a bit strong for the hollandaise taste ... I would try a very mild olive oil and perhaps 1/2 and 1/2 with grape-seed or a very light oil.

I usually use a cup inside a saucepan and keep an oven glove on and regulate the temp by taking it in/out of the just below boiling water... and I use the same trick as eKatherine with using 2 rings .... and I have to say its easier to watch someone than describe it, you don't need to whisk anywhere as hard as making mayo or aioli but you do need to keep it constantly moving... a proper pint glass (heat treated) is also a easy way becasue it sticks out making it easy to take it out of the water if it starts going too fast.

If it goes wrong ... you can put aside the mix and take another egg yolk and start again and then slowly add the stuff you put aside... its really not hard, just like riding a bike its just a knack but it is very practice/experience based.

The hollandaise is also a base for bearnaise and palaise ... for beef and lamb

[eKatherine]

  corinne said:

I can't tolerate butter (too much casein)

You can make hollandaise from clarified butter. Gently heat it until all the water evaporates, then filter out the milk solids through a paper filter.

[corinne]

Unfortunately, I get sick even from clarified butter. I guess there is traces of casein left. I'll try the half mild olive oil/half grape seed. Gluten free etc has been good in that it has forced me to learn to cook.

I'm still pretty new at cooking (3 months) and this recipe looks ambitious - but hollandaise is SOOOO good that I'll give it a try.

[eKatherine]

Just keep in mind that if you make it with olive and/or other vegetable oils, it's going to be mayonnaise, not hollandaise. But on the plus side, if you're not using butter, you won't need to cook it. I suggest looking up a recipe for blender mayonnaise.

[gfp]

  eKatherine said:

Just keep in mind that if you make it with olive and/or other vegetable oils, it's going to be mayonnaise, not hollandaise. But on the plus side, if you're not using butter, you won't need to cook it. I suggest looking up a recipe for blender mayonnaise.

Yes, I haven't tried the olive/grapeseed mix... I am just guessing it will be very heavy with olive oil... mostly my mayo I make thick and 'olivy' but people who are used to commerical "mayo" perhaps find it over powering.

Its all a question of taste but in many cases I use a more vinegary or lemon mayo to serve with asparagus and parma for instance ... in these cases they are somewhat interchangable... and its really just a hot/cold question

The thing with mayo and hollandaise it they are actually really easy once you have the knack.... you just need to know when to add more oil/butter by feel. I wonder who first discovered this ... what were they trying to make at the time? I imagine some caveman with a egg yolk and some oil or butter thinking hmm... that would be nice...

[eKatherine]

  gfp said:

Yes, I haven't tried the olive/grapeseed mix... I am just guessing it will be very heavy with olive oil... mostly my mayo I make thick and 'olivy' but people who are used to commerical "mayo" perhaps find it over powering.

Its all a question of taste but in many cases I use a more vinegary or lemon mayo to serve with asparagus and parma for instance ... in these cases they are somewhat interchangable... and its really just a hot/cold question

I make my mayonnaise with pure olive oil, not extra virgin. Tastes great on asparagus, boiled eggs, tomatoes...

[gfp]

I experimented for you

Last night I had lamb with a paloise sauce (like a bearnaise but with mint instead of tarragon) and I used a light 100% sunflour oil (I did however pre-fry the shallots in butter) and it turned out great....

I think the trick is to use the Hollandaise variations like bearnaise to substitute the butter part so that the rest of the sauce makes up for the butter flavor.