Why did my hollandaise sauce break when adding spices?
I just made my very first attempt at a hollandaise sauce, which of course broke. The funny thing is, the sauce was perfect, and was finished. However, it was really, REALLY bland. So, to add some flavor as I've seen several other chefs demonstrate, I attempted to stir in spices (a little salt, a little chili powder, a little black pepper). As soon as the spices hit the sauce it instantly broke.
Sadly I am now out of eggs and butter, so there's no way I can salvage it. Down the sink it went.
So, what happened? What did I do wrong? Any help would be appreciated - it has to be something with those spices. Perhaps the salt??
I refuse to give this up, I need to learn these mother sauces!
Best Answer
Adding salt and pepper should usually not lead to a clotted sauce hollandaise.
It happens if the whole thing starts getting to hot. The next time you do it you can try the following: Put some ice water aside as you start. If you determine the sauce starts separating beat in a tiny amount of ice water. If you are lucky you can form the emulsion again by that. If it doesn't work you have to start over again.
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Quick Answer about "Why did my hollandaise sauce break when adding spices?"
A few reasons it would separate are it gets too hot, the butter or fat is added too quickly or its kept warm for too long -- should be served right away.Why did my hollandaise sauce break?
Why Does Hollandaise Sauce Break? Over-heating or overcooking the egg yolks is one culprit. Next time, be sure to use a double boiler and heat the yolks gently to avoid overcooking them. The second cause is either adding too much butter or adding it too quickly.How do you fix a split hollandaise sauce?
Gradually whisk in 1/4 part hot water to your broken hollandaise. Add 1 tbsp hot water at a time until your hollandaise begins to come together. Continue to add the water gradually until your sauce is the right consistency. Note: You can use scalded cream instead of hot water.Can curdled hollandaise sauce Be Saved?
No matter how skilled you are in the kitchen, emulsion sauces like hollandaise sometimes \u201cbreak,\u201d or separate. If this happens, you can try to correct it by whisking in a teaspoon or two of boiling water, a drop at a time. If that doesn't work, put another egg yolk in a bowl and very slowly whisk in the broken sauce.How do you make hollandaise sauce without curdling?
Melt the butter in the measuring cup. Remove the measuring cup from the saucepan and add the lemon juice (fresh or bottled is fine) to bring the temperature of the butter down a bit. Slowly pour the butter-lemon mixture into the bowl that contains your egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent curdling the eggs.How to Fix Broken Hollandaise Sauce
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Answer 2
Mine just separated and all you do is add boiling water a drop at a time while stirring and it comes back together. If this doesn't work you can slowly add another egg yolk.
A few reasons it would separate are it gets too hot, the butter or fat is added too quickly or its kept warm for too long -- should be served right away.
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