I wanted to make salmon a little differently. I wanted a smooth sauce that was buttery and lemony. I wanted Hollandaise! But I had never made it. One reason is because it always seemed intimidating. Another is that most recipes make a large quantity of sauce, and there were only two of us so I didn’t want to make a lot.
So I did a web search. Some of the recipes described as Hollandaise “for two” called for a whole stick of butter — no thank you! This recipe, which I found on a blog called The Spruce Eats, used only half that – which still seemed like a lot, but more reasonable. The title was “Hollandaise Sauce for Two,”but as you can see from the photo, where the salmon is just about swimming in the stuff, the recipe can easily serve four to six, because a little Hollandaise goes a long way!
It was easy enough to make. If you’re looking for a rich, butter/lemony sauce, give this one a try!
By the way, the black specks in the photo are the fresh-ground black pepper I put on the salmon before I cooked it.
Ingredients:
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 tsp. lemon juice
Pinch salt
Pinch white pepper
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature
1½ tsp. water
Directions:
Put an inch or so of water into the bottom of a double boiler or a saucepan large enough to hold a metal bowl without it touching the bottom of the pot. The water should not reach the bottom of the double boiler insert or the metal bowl.
Boil the water, then turn down the heat to maintain a low simmer.
In the double boiler insert or bowl, whisk the egg yok, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Set the bowl over the boiling water and whisk slowly but consistently until the mixture starts to thicken.
Add the butter, one piece at a time, whisking until each piece is incorporated before adding another piece. Repeat until all 8 pieces are incorporated. The sauce should be thick, smooth and glossy.
Whisk in 1½ tsp. water. Adjust the seasoning and add a bit more lemon juice if desired.
Remove the pan from the heat. The sauce will keep over the hot water for a half-hour or so as long as you whisk it occasionally.
Pour over vegetables, fish, or poached eggs on toast.
Serves 4 to 6
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