1. Vigorously whisk egg yolks and lemon juice in a stainless steel bowl until thick and doubled in volume
2. In a separate pot over low heat, melt butter
3. Remove from heat and whisk in cayenne pepper and salt
   
4. Cover and allow to sit in a warm spot until ready to serve – which should be almost immediately
5. Enjoy with poached eggs, broccoli, fish or asparagus
6. If sauce thickens while resting, whisk in a few drops of water water at a time to achieve desired consistency

Dating back to 17th century French cuisine, the classic Hollandaise sauce is one of the five mother sauces including Béchamel Sauce, Velouté Sauce, Espagnole Sauce, Tomato Sauce and Hollandaise. A mother sauce – or sauce mère – is simply a foundational sauce from which other recipes or sauces can be developed. They are also know as "grandes sauces". Hollandaise is recognized for its light, creamy texture with a hint of tang from either lemon juice or vinegar and cayenne.

There is no real secret to a Hollandaise sauce recipe except – as with most things – experience and moderation. You want to ensure that your sauce bowl does not actually touch the water of your pot and you want a moderate temperature so as not to scramble your yolk mixture. If your Hollandaise is thicker than you want it before serving, gently add warm/hot water a few drops at a time.

The three most common reasons for a broken or separated Hollandaise sauce are excessive heat; adding your butter too quickly – the melted butter should be slowly streamed in while whisking vigorously; or it hasn't been adequately emulsified – which is just another way of saying your didn't whip it – whip it good.

Be aware that in your early attempts, your Hollandaise sauce might break as it can sometimes be temperamental or finicky – we all have our bad days. Here's how to try and fix a broken Hollandaise sauce recipe. There are typically four reasons your Hollandaise may not turn out as desired. If your yolk mixture bowl touches the water or the water is at too much of a boil – your Hollandaise sauce may look more like scrambled eggs – and, yes – you should start over. However, there are some remedies you can try if your sauce is broken but not completely scrambled. The foremost two are to add another egg yolk into your mixture. Your additional egg yolk should be at room temperature before adding it to your sauce. Alternatively, you can try adding warm/hot water a few drops at a time – which is also how you can thin your sauce if you find it too thick before serving.

Hollandaise sauce pairs well with poached eggs – think Eggs Benedict – fish, asparagus, broccoli and other al dente vegetables. With time and confidence, you may want to play with variations on your Hollandaise sauce theme – such as a Béarnaise sauce or the simple addition of smoked paprika – about a half-teaspoon.

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