Twelve Diamond Stars

 

April 16 was Eggs Benedict Day, which I celebrated by learning to make hollandaise. The recipe calls for 3 yolks, a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, and half a cup of butter, chopped into at least 8 pieces. You whisk together the yolks and juice in a small saucepan over very low heat, then gradually whisk in the butter pieces. You can add a pinch of salt or cayenne at this point, but they’re not necessary. You’ll end up with about 3/4 cup sauce, which is much more than we needed. So, I cut it down to a third that size. If I hadn’t, I might have stored the covered leftover sauce in the fridge, and then rewarmed it by whisking in a tablespoon or so of boiling water over very low heat. It was lovely with poached eggs, Canadian bacon and toasted English muffins. But I understand hollandaise is also excellent over steamed fish or vegetables.