Two Easy Ways to Make a Dutch Mother’s Day Brunch
Eggs Benedict is the undisputed star of brunch, but this tricky Hollandaise sauce can disappoint even seasoned home chefs. Luckily, we’ve found two very easy ways to make a silky sauce, neither of which requires a double boiler or a ton of beating.
Our first method – which is shown in the video above – comes from Helen Rennie and can be done by anyone, no matter how primitive your kitchen is. (Heck, this could probably even be done on a hot stove; all you need is a saucepan, whisk, and heat source.) First, start by adding large chopped shallots to the pan along with 1/2 cup of wine. and reduce the wine by half. Remove the skillet and scoop out the shallots, then return the skillet to medium to high heat and add a whole stick of butter along with a healthy drop of lemon. When the butter is almost melted, reduce heat to medium-low and beat well. Add 2 large egg yolks and beat again until thickened (this will take about 30 seconds). Season with salt, pepper, dill, garlic, or whatever you like best.
Our second method from ChefSteps is slightly more modern and includes an immersion circulator. The man of my dreams can reveal the whole Benedict process for you in the video above, but this method couldn’t be more reliable. (Bonus: since poached eggs stay at the same temperature as Dutch, you can cook everything in one large water bath.)
You will start by chopping the shallots as you did above with 40 grams of champagne vinegar and 25 grams of chopped shallots. (If weighing in grams seems tedious, take comfort in the fact that this sauce is flawless and well worth the effort.) When you have a fragrant shallots elixir, toss it in a freezer bag along with 150 grams of salted. butter, 85 g of egg yolk, 60 g of water, 20 g of lemon juice and 3 g of salt. Let everything hang in the 147-degree water bath for a couple of hours, and when you’re ready to surprise your guests with the most impressive brunch, pour it into a blender and watch in amazement as it turns into a flawless sauce.
The ratios above give enough sauce for six bennies, but I increased it to serve about 20 people without any problem. Everyone was very impressed and well fed, and I’m sure your mom was too.