Hollandaise sauce

There are few things as delicious as a rich, buttery hollandaise sauce, whether it is eaten on eggs Benedict, grilled salmon, asparagus or even with roasted Jerusalem artichokes.

When I was at chefs school, a hollandaise sauce was a nightmare to make during an exam as it splits easily, takes a lot of effort and time to make and cannot be reheated. Many people love to eat it but sadly, few attempt it because of these horror stories. This then is my foolproof version of hollandaise with all the taste of a cheffy sauce but none of the pitfalls of making it.

3 egg yolks

15ml lemon juice

5ml Dijon mustard

1,2ml salt

125ml butter, melted and really hot

Add the yolks, lemon, mustard and salt to a blender. Combine for 15 seconds or so.

Melt the butter in the microwave oven. Now warm the butter until it is really hot.

Drizzle the butter into the egg mixture with the engine running. Do not add it too quickly but rather in a very small stream, giving the mixture time to emulsify.

Pour the warm, luscious sauce into a jug and serve by spooning generous amounts onto your chosen food.

If your sauce splits, simply add 15-30ml of boiling water in a steady stream, while the engine of your blender is running. Blend until the sauce emulsifies and comes together.

One small word of caution: hollandaise does not reheat successfully and should preferably be made once you have everything ready and are about to serve your dish.