Hollandaise Sauce – Easy Microwave Recipe - 1840 Farm (2024)

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I love a meal that involves Hollandaise Sauce, but I don’t always love making it. Luckily, I discovered several years ago that I could make it in the microwave with less fuss, a lot less mess, and on a whim. Since then, I always make this easy microwave recipe that delivers the same flavor with barely any effort.

For me, there’s no flavor that says Sunday brunch more than hollandaise. It lends so many delightful characteristics to a plate of food. First, there’s that brilliant yellow color from the egg yolk. For a chicken keeper like me, the brighter the color, the more proud I can be of our happy, healthy hens.

Once we move past that beautiful color, there’s the silky,velvety texture that can make anything it touches seem like a special meal. Theflavor is rich and acidic and I am never sorry for having it on my plate.

However, I will admit that I do not enjoy the painstakingprocess required to make traditional hollandaise. It’s not overly difficult,but the timing, temperature, and proportions need to be exact. Otherwise, youcan end up with a lumpy, broken sauce that is anything but decadent.

I’m not a morning person, so being precise first thing inthe morning can be a struggle. While I’dlove to whip up a plate of toasted bread or English muffins topped with poachedeggs and a generous blanket of Hollandaise, I’d rather get to the eating partof that meal than the making of it.

It was my want to eat such a delicious meal without spending an hour making it followed by an hour cleaning up the mess I’d made that led me to look for ways to simplify the process. I discovered years ago that eggs can be easily and beautifully poached in the oven by using a muffin pan. The process is so simple and allows me to put a dozen eggs in the oven to poach at the same time. It’s a lifesaver when you’re trying to make enough poached eggs for everyone at once.

Hollandaise Sauce – Easy Microwave Recipe - 1840 Farm (1)

Once I mastered the poached eggs, I just needed to simplify the hollandaise sauce. I was hoping for a method that would allow me to easily prepare the hollandaise while the eggs were poaching in the oven and the bread was toasting. Enter the microwave.

Yes, I know that it is difficult to accept that themicrowave could ever make a hollandaise sauce that would remotely resemblehollandaise that has been whisked precisely into beautiful silky submission ona double boiler. Yet I know that it is true because I have made it this way sooften that I no longer need the recipe. I am amazed every time I make thissimple preparation and find that it has indeed turned into that luscious,delicious hollandaise sauce I hoped for.

While this microwave hollandaise looks and tastes just as beautiful and decadent as the classic version, you’ll find that it is as simple as melting butter in the microwave. It really is like the most delicious shortcut I have ever taken in the farmhouse kitchen. I hope that you’ll find it as easy and delicious as I do and that you’ll make it in your kitchen soon.

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If this recipe caught your attention, you might always want to try…

Once you’ve mastered this easy Hollandaise Sauce recipe, you might want to give our delicious homemade English Muffins a try!

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Jennifer from 1840 Farm

This recipe makes enough to serve two and can be doubled. Increasing it beyond that might prove troublesome and lead to unwelcome results. Instead, I would create multiple batches if needed. The sauce holds very well at room temperature and will remain warm and spoonable for several minutes. If you prefer a bit of spice in your hollandaise, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a bit of your favorite hot sauce with the salt and pepper.

Author: Jennifer from 1840 Farm

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • cayenne pepper or hot sauce optional

Instructions

  • Place the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds or until fully melted.

  • Place the egg yolk and lemon juice in another microwave-safe bowl. Use a small whisk or a fork to break up the egg yolk and mix it with the lemon juice. Add the melted butter in a slow stream to the yolk while mixing with the whisk or fork constantly. The hot butter and brisk mixing will temper the egg yolks, warming them without scrambling. Continue to mix for 30 seconds. The mixture should be a beautiful pale yellow with a slightly thickened, satiny texture.

  • Place the bowl in the microwave and cook for 10 seconds. Remove the bowl from the microwave. Stir it briskly for another 30 seconds. It should become a thick, smooth sauce. If it seems lumpy, continue stirring. It should smooth out and create a thick, velvety sauce. If needed, you can microwave in 5 second increments until it can be stirred into the thick, velvety sauce.

  • Season the hollandaise with a bit of salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning, adding more if necessary along with a pinch of cayenne pepper or a few drops of your favorite hot sauce if desired. Serve by spooning over eggs, steamed asparagus, or fish.

Notes

This hollandaise sauce can be held for several minutes at room temperature. If you need to hold it longer, simply place the bowl in a pie plate or other shallow container filled with warm water. Stir before serving.

Tried this recipe?Mention @1840Farm or tag #1840FarmFood! We can’t wait to see what you make!

  • Hollandaise Sauce – Easy Microwave Recipe - 1840 Farm (5)
  • Hollandaise Sauce – Easy Microwave Recipe - 1840 Farm (6)
Hollandaise Sauce – Easy Microwave Recipe - 1840 Farm (7)

Visit our Amazon Page to find our favorites for the pantry, Farmhouse Kitchen, studio, garden, farmhouse, and Penny Lane. We only share the products we use and never suggest products we haven’t tried ourselves.

If you choose to make a purchase, we will receive a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. The pennies we earn help to cover the costs of running our blog and keep Penny Lane’s cookie jar full. You can learn more about our participation in affiliate programs here.

Hollandaise Sauce – Easy Microwave Recipe - 1840 Farm (2024)

FAQs

Hollandaise Sauce – Easy Microwave Recipe - 1840 Farm? ›

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, cold water, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into butter. Continue whisking over low heat for 8 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.

What is the basic formula for hollandaise? ›

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, cold water, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into butter. Continue whisking over low heat for 8 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.

Who made the first hollandaise sauce? ›

La Varenne is credited with bringing sauces out of the Middle Ages with his publication and may well have invented hollandaise sauce. A more recent name for it is sauce Isigny, named after Isigny-sur-Mer, which is famous for its butter. Isigny sauce is found in recipe books starting in the 19th century.

How old is hollandaise sauce? ›

Some sources claim that the sauce was developed in the Netherlands, from where it was taken to France by the Huguenots. The sauce is mentioned as early as in 1593 in a Dutch cookbook.

What is the main ingredients and thickening agent in a hollandaise sauce? ›

Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise is a tangy, buttery sauce made by slowly whisking clarified butter into warm egg yolks. So the liquid here is the clarified butter and the thickening agent is the egg yolks.

What is hollandaise sauce made from? ›

hollandaise sauce, one of the classic sauces of French cooking, made of butter, egg yolks, lemon juice, and pepper and usually served on fish, eggs, or vegetables.

What is the most common mistake in hollandaise sauce? ›

Hollandaise Sauce

One common hollandaise mistake is overcooking the egg yolks, and there's no coming back from that. But the most common problem is that the emulsion breaks, and you see streaks of liquid butter instead of a uniformly creamy sauce.

What is a common mistake with hollandaise sauce? ›

The most common mistake people make with Hollandaise is adding melted butter that is too hot, or adding too much too soon. When this happens, the emulsion breaks — it becomes thin and grainy. If your butter is too hot, just stop making the Hollandaise for a minute or two to allow the butter to cool.

What can I use instead of hollandaise sauce? ›

5 Alternative Takes on Hollandaise Sauce for Your Eggs Benedict
  • Use red wine. For a heartier sauce (that's especially good with steak and eggs), reduce dry red wine and port instead of white wine.
  • Make a cheese sauce. ...
  • Brown the butter with capers. ...
  • Add morels. ...
  • Use avocado.
Nov 15, 2022

What is hollandaise mean in English? ›

: a rich sauce made basically of butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice or vinegar.

What is a fun fact about hollandaise sauce? ›

Popular theory places its origin to a town in Normandy, France called "Isigny-Sur-Mer", known for its high-quality butter. According to history, France couldn't produce its own butter during the First World War and imported it from Holland – which led to it being known as Hollandaise.

What's the difference between Benedict sauce and hollandaise sauce? ›

It's what happens next that sets them apart: Hollandaise gets its acidity from lemon juice (sometimes vinegar) and is usually seasoned with salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Béarnaise, meanwhile, builds upon hollandaise with white wine vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and other fresh herbs.

Can you eat broken Hollandaise sauce? ›

If hollandaise sauce has split (broken), don't worry! You can still save it and make a delicious hollandaise. Get it hot again on the stove (just like you did when you melted the butter). Take a large bowl and add a teaspoon of warm water.

Why is Hollandaise sauce difficult? ›

Traditional hollandaise, made by emulsifying melted clarified butter into egg yolks and lemon juice, is notoriously difficult to make. You not only have to take the same care in its construction as you take for oil-in-egg-yolk mayonnaise, but you also have to deal with the fickle nature of hot eggs and butter.

What are 3 derivatives of hollandaise sauce? ›

Some of the Hollandaise sauce derivatives are:
  • Maltaise – Hollandaise, juice, and zest of blood orange (late-season fruit is best).
  • Mousseline – Hollandaise, whipped cream.
  • Béarnaise – Tarragon, white wine, and vinegar reduction, fresh chervil, and tarragon.
  • Foyot – Béarnaise, reduced Espagnole, and brandy.

What is the base of hollandaise one of the 5 mother sauces? ›

It's worth mentioning that hollandaise is derived from mayonnaise and hasn't always been classified as a mother sauce. Hollandaise combines egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice. Both it and its derivative sauces are popularly served over eggs, vegetables, fish, or chicken.

What is the science of hollandaise sauce? ›

The scientific principle here is the development of an emulsion, using egg yolks and lemon juice as agents of that process. You will whisk the egg yolks so vigorously that thousands, perhaps millions, of egg globules are suspended in a mixture of lemon juice, salt and pepper.

What is the emulsifier in hollandaise sauce? ›

In the case of mayonnaise and hollandaise, it's the lecithin in the egg yolks that acts as the emulsifier. Lecithin, a fatty substance that is soluble in both fat and water, will readily combine with both the egg yolk and the oil or butter, essentially holding the two liquids together permanently.

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