HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
I know, I am a fool for even trying to take on a butter sauce for this book, but I would be remiss if I didn’t. In doing my research, many of you expressed your delight with this magical buttery emulsion, and I have to confess I am a fan as well. When I was a young chef, we used to have contests to see who could make the best hollandaise sauce. It’s actually a lot of fun to make because the chemical reaction that takes place makes it a bit challenging. This version is virtually impossible to mess up because when you remove most of the butter, you don’t have to worry about tricky emulsifications and the sauce “breaking” if the heat is too high. While it’s not the butter bomb that the original is, having only one-third of the original fat and calories is worth making some adjustments for. Makes 1⅓ cups (about 7 servings)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon Butter Buds Sprinkles
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tabasco sauce
1. Combine the cornstarch and Butter Buds in a small saucepan. Whisk the lemon juice and chicken broth into the cornstarch mixture. Set the pan over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils. Then cook until thickened, about 1 minute.
2. Place the egg yolk in a small bowl. Whisk ½ cup of the hot liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the egg yolk. Then whisk the warmed yolk back into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Serve immediately.
