HOLLANDAISE.
There is no sauce more popular with judges of good food
than HOLLANDAISE ; in perfection it is a grand sauce, and not
very easy to make. In its homely form it may be described as
sauce blanche, to which a few yolks of eggs have been added,
and a squeeze of lemon juice. In its more elaborate treatment
it becomes a custard of yolks of eggs, water, vinegar or lemon
juice, and butter. Some are in favour of vinegar, others prefer
lemon juice. For the simpler hollandaise go to work in this
way :—
Beat up the yolks of three eggs with a teaspoonful of vinegar
that has been reduced as described in the next recipe, and a
dessertspoonful of water in which half a saltspoonful of pounded
allspice has been dissolved, add salt to taste, and four ounces of
fresh butter. Put this mixture into a small saucepan, and
plunge it into a bain-marie, or stew-pan large enough to receive
it, containing boiling water ; steam your mixture in this way
as in custard-making till it thickens, and serve the sauce in a
very hot boat. hollandaise made with eggs is sometimes de-
scribed as hollandaise jaune, to distinguish it from the “Dutch
sauce” made with butter and lemon juice.