Why it works: Butter and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,227 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Hollandaise Sauce II
Ingredients
Directions
Wash butter and divide into three pieces.
Put one piece of butter in a saucepan with vinegar or lemon juice and egg yolks.
Place the saucepan in a larger one containing boiling water, and stir constantly with a wire whisk.
Add the second piece of butter, and, as it thickens, add the third piece.
Remove from heat, and add salt and cayenne.
If a richer sauce is desired, add one-half teaspoon hot water and one-half tablespoon heavy cream.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Butter + lemontop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,227 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
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Vinegar + lemontop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,334 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Butter + vinegartop 23% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,513 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, pear).
Lemon and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 44,316 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Provides fat that gives the sauce its rich, smooth body.
- Egg yolks
- Emulsify the butter and set into a thick, creamy sauce when gently heated.
- Vinegar or lemon juice
- Adds acidity that balances the richness and helps stabilize the emulsion.
The step that matters
Add the butter gradually while whisking over the water bath. Egg yolks must be heated gently and whisked constantly so they thicken without scrambling. Adding butter slowly lets it emulsify into the yolks; adding it too fast can cause the sauce to break and separate.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, vinegar, egg):
- Strawberryfits about as well
- Currantfits about as well
- Raspberryfits about as well
- Lemonthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, vinegar, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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