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Valentine’s cooking should be romantic and not stressful. Avoid garlic and onions of course, and finish with a full bowl of strawberries from Yoder’s produce market and a few bites of chocolate.
Keeping it simple means more time for you and your Valentine. Here is an easy blender Hollandaise recipe that is my go to for an easy but upscale dinner. Perfect with steak and lobster and those thick cut Veal chops from Fresh market.
Yield: Makes about 1 cup of sauce, good for about 4-6 servings.
Ingredients
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
- Melt the butter slowly in a small pot. Try not to let it boil – you want the moisture in the butter to remain there and not steam away.
- Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne (if using) into your blender. Blend the egg yolk mixture at a medium to medium high speed until it lightens in color, about 20-30 seconds. The friction generated by the blender blades will heat the yolks a bit. The blending action will also introduce a little air into them, making your hollandaise a bit lighter.
- Once the yolks have lightened in color, turn the blender down to its lowest setting (if you only have one speed on your blender it will still work), and drizzle in the melted butter slowly, while the blender is going. Continue to buzz for another couple seconds after the butter is all incorporated.
- Turn off the blender and taste the sauce. It should be buttery, lemony and just lightly salty. If it is not salty or lemony enough, you can add a little lemon juice or salt to taste. If you want a thinner consistency, add a little warm water. Pulse briefly to incorporate the ingredients one more time.
- Store until needed in a warm spot, like on or next to the stovetop. Use within an hour
