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Spent 45 minutes trying to fix a hollandaise that broke on me last night

I was making eggs benedict for a brunch special and the sauce just split right as service was about to hit. Took me way too long to realize I just needed to whisk in a tablespoon of ice water and start over slow. Has anyone else had a simple fix like that take forever to figure out?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_diana21d ago

Ice water fixed it? Not buying that. That's a bandaid not real technique. Real fix is patience and low heat. Breaking means you rushed the emulsion. Should have started fresh instead of chasing a lost cause. You probably had it too hot from the start. Next time keep it warm not hot and whisk slower.

josephmartin21d ago

the Diana has a point about heat control but that ice water trick actually IS a legitimate rescue method. When an emulsion breaks from getting too hot, dropping the temperature with a tiny bit of cold liquid can bring the fat and water back together. It's not a bandaid if it works. I've saved plenty of sauces that way, especially when you're in the middle of service and don't have time to start over. The key is adding it a TEASPOON at a time while whisking like crazy, not just dumping it in.

phoenix_grant3421d ago

Take @the_diana's advice and just tell the hollandaise to calm down, that usually works for me. The ice water trick is solid though, I've saved more broken sauces with a teaspoon of cold than I care to admit. Desperate times call for desperate whisking, am I right?