Got a tip from a line cook in a Portland food truck that fixed my hollandaise

I was working a pop-up there last month and my sauce kept breaking no matter how slow I added the butter. He told me to warm the egg yolks with a splash of water first, not just over the double boiler but whisking until they ribbon. It made the emulsion so much stronger and now I do it every time. What's the best kitchen trick you've ever picked up from another cook?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas_gonzalez3d ago

That ribbon trick for hollandaise is a game changer for sure! My buddy had a similar moment with mayonnaise. He was always getting a thin, sad sauce until a cook at his old job showed him to add the oil literally drop by drop for the first quarter cup, like painfully slow. It turns the yolks into this thick, pale paste that can handle the rest of the oil in a steady stream without a care. He said it felt like learning a magic spell, and he hasn't broken a mayo since.

charles9192d ago

Oh man, that's the real secret right there. I read the exact same thing in some old cooking book, @thomas_gonzalez. It said if you rush the start, the whole thing just falls apart. That slow start makes all the difference. It's like building a strong base so the rest just works. Feels so good when it finally clicks.