Rant: My hollandaise went from broken mess to perfect in under a minute after I changed one thing

Two weeks ago, I was making brunch for 30 at a pop-up and my hollandaise split three times in a row. I was whisking over a double boiler like always. My sous chef, Gina, told me to pull the bowl off the heat and just whisk in a single ice cube. I thought she was nuts, but it came back together in about 45 seconds. The cold shock just worked. Has anyone else got a weird fix for a broken sauce that actually works?

2 comments

2 Comments

ninal9114d ago

Honestly, that ice cube trick sounds like a total gamble. Adding water, even frozen, can just make a broken emulsion worse and thin out the sauce. The hot water method troy mentioned is way more reliable because it gently cooks the egg yolks again.

troy_ross14d ago

An ice cube is a new one. Did you have to adjust the seasoning after, or did it not mess with the flavor at all? I've only ever fixed a broken mayo or hollandaise by slowly whisking in a splash of hot water.