Precautions for Making Hot Emulsified Egg Yolk Sauces such as Béarnaise and Hollandaise

Appears in
top 1000Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making
Sauces

By James Peterson

Published 1991

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  1. Make sure that the sabayon is completely cooked. If it is not cooked enough, it will separate, and the sauce will be too thin or will break completely.
  2. Remember that one egg yolk can absorb about ½ cup (125 milliliters) clarified butter (the equivalent of 5 ounces/150 grams whole butter). If too much butter is added, the sauce is likely to break.
  3. Egg yolks curdle above 185°F (85°C), so make sure the butter is not too hot before stirring it into the sabayon.
  4. Do not add the butter to the sabayon all at once, or the sauce will break. Conversely, it should not be added too slowly, or the sauce will be heavy.
  5. Keep the sauce at the correct temperature, about 145°F (63°C), during restaurant service. If it gets too hot, it will break. The best way to keep it at the correct temperature is to place it in a pan of water on a low flame or somewhere near the back of the stove. Check it from time to time to make sure that it is not too hot.
  6. Keep emulsified sauces covered while they are being held for use. Otherwise, a skin may form on the surface. Stir them gently before serving.
  7. Hot emulsified sauces tend to cook and thicken while being held warm before service. They should be thinned about every hour with a little water or heavy cream. If allowed to sit for too long without being thinned, they will break.
  8. Even well-made sabayon sauces will not remain frothy during a long dinner service. For this reason, keep them in a whipping siphon (hold in a bain-marie kept below 140°F/60°C) and pipe out to order.