I finally figured out why my hollandaise was always breaking

For years, I'd add the butter in one big stream, thinking speed was key. A new cook at our place in Tampa watched me last week and quietly said, 'My grandma taught me to add it drop by drop at first, like you're scared of it.' That tiny change made all the difference. Anyone else have a simple trick that fixed a classic sauce for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantnelson1d ago

Honestly, I just dump the butter in fast and it works fine every time.

garcia.wren1d ago

Wait, are you talking about melted butter or cold butter chunks? Because dumping cold butter in fast is how you get greasy pastry. The temperature really matters here.

ray5621d ago

I read in Cook's Illustrated that cold butter needs to stay in pea-sized bits, @grantnelson. If yours works, maybe your kitchen is just colder than most.