Hot Emulsified Sauces

Hollandaise, béarnaise and butter sauces are my favourite sauces; they are all hot emulsified sauces made by whisking two or more ingredients into an emulsion. All these sauces are light, yet rich and have many variations, such as orange-flavoured hollandaise. These sauces have a reputation of being difficult because the egg yolks can easily curdle and ruin the sauce. This can be overcome by using a food processor, although the technique of making them by hand can easily be mastered with a little practice.