Update: I spent three hours trying to fix a broken hollandaise sauce last night

I was doing a small dinner party for six friends and my sauce just would not emulsify, no matter what I tried. I finally realized my butter was way too hot when I added it, which I learned is a classic mistake. Has anyone else had a sauce break on them right before service and what's your go-to fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

hernandez.robert1mo ago

My first kitchen job I thought you could just whisk hot butter in fast. A broken bearnaise during a busy Saturday service taught me the hard way. Now I keep a bowl of ice water nearby to cool the base down if things start to look greasy.

ruby_reed481mo ago

Wait, you just whisked hot butter straight in?

susan_nguyen1mo ago

Oh man, I was totally in that same boat! I used to just pour it right in, thinking speed was the only trick. Reading what @hernandez.robert said about the broken bearnaise really hit home for me. That visual of it turning greasy is exactly what happens, and now I'm a total convert to the slow drizzle. Keeping a little ice bath ready is such a smart backup plan, honestly.