How To Fix Split Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise sauce is one of those recipes that can strike fear into the hearts of home chefs, but when you get it right, it's oh so worth it. After all, there would be no classic eggs Benedict without this silky creation.

Hollandaise is a deceptively simple combination of melted butter and warm egg yolks whisked together to create an emulsion — a fancy way of describing the process of forcing two liquids that normally don't mix to combine, like mayonnaise or salad dressing. However, Hollandaise only comes together under specific conditions. If you use too much butter or let the temperature get too high or low, the sauce can break, resulting in a greasy, grainy mess (as opposed to the desired shiny and smooth texture). If this happens to you, there's no need to panic — there's an easy fix. Simply grab an extra egg yolk and a clean bowl, whisk the yolk over a pot of simmering water, and then gradually mix in the broken sauce.

The entire balance of Hollandaise sauce relies on lecithin in the yolks, which acts as an emulsifier. Each yolk can only hold so much fat in suspension, so adding a new egg yolk doubles the amount of lecithin. Be sure to slowly add the broken sauce into the new egg yolk — never the other way around. This will reset the emulsion.

Of course, the best way to fix a split Hollandaise is to prevent it from breaking in the first place. This might sound easier said than done, but take comfort in knowing that many chefs have mastered this sauce. With a little temperature control and careful measuring, everything will work out fine.

A common reason Hollandaise breaks is that it gets too hot or too cold. Egg yolks and butter are both very temperature-sensitive, so avoid leaving the sauce over a direct flame or letting it sit on a cold counter. Hollandaise is happiest in a double boiler over gently simmering water, which keeps it between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Then there's the matter of butter. One egg yolk can emulsify around eight tablespoons of butter, but many recipes call for a much lower ratio. Don't try to stretch the sauce with extra butter to make a bigger batch — it won't work.

For extra insurance against a broken Hollandaise, whisk a little Dijon mustard into the egg yolks. Like lecithin, mustard is an emulsifier that will stabilize the sauce and make it more forgiving if you're slightly off with the butter measurements or the temperature gets a bit too cool. It also adds a zippy flavor that tastes greats with smoked salmon and lox (which are not quite the same thing), crispy bacon, or even a simple corned beef hash.