Directions

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  1. Fill a pot with water ⅔ full, cover and bring to a boil (this is for poaching the eggs).
  2. Now to move on to our hollandaise sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat (so that you don’t burn it). When melted, pour into a small jug so it’s easy to pour. Set aside.
  3. In a small saucepan, bring some water to a simmer (light/small bubbles). Keep flame on low.
  4. Lightly whisk the egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl (use a metal or glass bowl, not plastic). Add ½ tsp vinegar and mix. You can skip the vinegar, but Gordon Ramsay added it so I did too 🙂
  5. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan with gently simmering water.
  6. Keep whisking the eggs until it thickens and the consistency becomes almost custardy.
  7. Gradually add small splashes of butter into the eggs whisking well (and very quickly) between each addition. Here I would suggest you keep taking the bowl off the heat and bringing it back on so that the mix doesn’t overheat and split (don’t stop whisking!). Feel like your sauce has split? See ‘How to fix my split sauce’.
  8. Once all the butter is incorporated you should have a silky smooth, thick sauce. The sauce should be thick enough so that it covers the back of your spoon and doesn’t drip off.
  9. Mix in lemon juice and mustard paste. Set aside.
  10. Now to poach the eggs. You had a pot of boiling water in step 1. Bring that down to a simmer (you should see bubbles coming up to the surface, but it won’t be rolling).
  11. Add ½-1 tsp of vinegar in the water.
  12. Break an egg into a small jug/cup.
  13. Make sure the water is at a bare simmer. Then using a spoon, create a gentle whirlwind in the water and gently pour the egg (white first) into the centre of that whirlwind. Don’t drop the egg from too high up.
  14. Leave the egg to poach in the water for 4 mins (to get a firm white and runny yolk). If poaching multiple eggs at once, add 30 seconds cooking time per additional egg.
  15. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg from the water and place on a paper napkin to drain.
  16. Toast the muffin, add smoked salmon, place poached egg on top and pour over the hollandaise. Top with rocket leaves and cracked pepper. Serve immediately.

 

How to fix my split sauce

Split your hollandaise? Don’t worry, most of us do! Here’s how to fix it:

  • In step 7 (above) if you notice that your eggs and butter aren’t mixing together (the mix feels oily around the edges and thin), remove from heat and immediately whisk in an ice cube. If that doesn’t save it, then:
  • Separate the mixture completely by stirring over heat.
  • Tilt the pan and let rest for 5 minutes so the oily part comes to the top where it can be removed (but don’t discard).
  • Start with 2 tsp of warm water in a bowl and add 1 tbsp of the thick sauce at a time, whisking in until smooth at each addition.
  • Start adding back in the oily part, beating it in like you were making the sauce from the start. Make sure you maintain the heat by taking it off the heat periodically during whisking.
  • If any parts have scrambled, put through a strainer.