Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce Base
- 115 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 10 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 g dijon mustard
- 1 g fine sea salt
- 1 g cayenne pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is bubbling hot, reaching approximately 90°C/195°F. Remove from the heat.
Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, fine sea salt, and cayenne pepper into a tall blending cup.
Submerge the immersion blender into the cup and blend for 5 seconds until the yolk mixture is smooth and slightly pale.
With the blender running continuously on high speed, very slowly pour the hot butter into the cup in a thin, steady stream. The hot butter will gently temper the yolks and emulsify into a thick, creamy sauce.
Serve immediately while warm over eggs, vegetables, or proteins.
Chef's Notes
- Using a tall, narrow blending cup is essential for this method, as the blades must be fully submerged in the shallow pool of egg yolks before the butter is added.
- The butter must be hot enough to gently heat the egg yolks as it emulsifies, but avoid letting it brown unless you intentionally want a noisette flavor profile.
- A tiny dab of Dijon mustard acts as an emulsification insurance policy, providing natural stabilizers without heavily altering the classic flavor.
- Because the eggs are only gently warmed and not fully cooked to food safety standard temperatures, always use pasteurized eggs if serving to vulnerable populations.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat over a warm water bath whisking constantly, or in 5-second microwave bursts at 50 percent power. High heat will break the emulsion.
