40 FEBRUARY 2021
HANDBOOK
THERE’S A REASON that classics are classics: They’re delicious, versatile, and always
worth revisiting. I had a little refresher course in the making of one such classic,
hollandaise, when I was styling food for an upcoming documentary about Julia Child’s
life. I did it the old-fashioned way—Julia’s way—by hand, with a whisk, and I fell back
in love with this hands-on technique. Instead of relying on a blender (which I’ve cer-
tainly done before!), it’s so nice to be able to feel the subtle changes as the eggs begin
to thicken the sauce, slowing your whisk with their satiny richness.
For me, part of this classic’s appeal is the room it gives for adaptation and invention.
For my homage to Julia’s original dish, I’ve sneaked in a little mustard and a dash of
cornstarch to help hold this most fragile of sauces together in a smooth and creamy
emulsion. I like to use a saucier instead of a double boiler; its bowl shape and rounded
bottom allow you to whisk freely, with no sharp corners to trap stubborn bits of sauce.
And I’m giving you a break from poaching by using jammy steamed eggs. Add a thick
slice of sourdough toast and plenty of crispy prosciutto, and you’re all set. The billowy
hollandaise stays mainly on top, but you can always go back in to mop up any sauce that
lands on the plate. I like to think that Julia would approve. —SUSAN SPUNGENChild’s Play Susan Spungen riffs on
Julia Child’s classic hollandaise.
F&W COOKSF&W Cooks is our community of ace home cooks who share their most delicious ideas in every issue.
Cook along at foodandwine.com/fwcooks and on social media @foodandwine using the hashtag #fwcooks.Eggs Benny Toast
TOTAL 30 MIN; SERVES 4The secret to this super-simple eggs
Benedict? Cornstarch. It stabilizes the
emulsion in the hollandaise, helping to
prevent the sauce from breaking while it
cooks over direct heat. Easier than
poaching, gently steaming eggs results in
delicately tender whites and smooth,
creamy yolks.3 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
11 / 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter (6 oz.),
melted, plus 2 Tbsp. cold unsalted
but ter, divided
1 / 8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Warm water, as needed
4 cold large eggs
4 (^1 / 2 -inch-thick) sourdough bread
slices, toasted
8 thin prosciutto or speck slices
(about 4 oz.)2 Tbsp. roughly chopped fresh soft
herbs (such as tarragon and chives)
Freshly ground black pepper
(optional)- Whisk egg yolks in a small saucepan
until smooth, about 1 minute. Add 1 table-
spoon cold water, cornstarch, Dijon, 1
tablespoon lemon juice, and^1 / 2 teaspoon
salt; whisk until thoroughly combined.
Prepare a bowl of ice water large enough
to dip bottom of saucepan into; set aside. - Add 1 tablespoon cold butter to egg
yolk mixture; place over very low heat.
Cook, whisking constantly, until thick-
ened and bubbles have disappeared, 1 to
2 minutes, being careful not to curdle egg
mixture. (If egg mixture looks anything
but perfectly smooth, remove from heat,
and briefly plunge saucepan into ice
water, whisking constantly.) When butter
is completely incorporated and mixture
has thickened, immediately add remain-
ing 1 tablespoon cold butter; remove from
heat, and whisk until smooth. - While whisking egg yolk mixture con-
stantly, slowly add 2 tablespoons melted
b u t te r,^1 / 4 teaspoon at a time, until mix-
ture begins to thicken, about 1 minute.
Whisking constantly, add remaining 10
tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon
at a time, until sauce is smooth, about 2
minutes. Whisk in cayenne, remaining^1 / 2
tablespoon lemon juice, and remaining^1 / 2
teaspoon salt. Add warm water, 1 tea-
spoon at a time, as needed until sauce is
thin enough to spread out on its own a bit
but still thick and billowy. Cover pan, and
keep warm over very low heat. Add more
warm water to thin if needed after resting.- Set a steamer basket in a medium
saucepan, and fill pan with 1 inch of water.
Bring to a simmer over medium; add cold
eggs. Cover and cook eggs 7 minutes for
runny yolks, increasing time by 30-sec-
ond increments up to 8 minutes and 30
seconds for less runny yolks. Transfer
eggs to ice bath; let stand 1 to 2 minutes.
Carefully peel eggs. - To assemble, drape each piece of sour-
dough toast with 2 prosciutto slices. Cut
peeled eggs carefully in half lengthwise,
and top each toast with 2 egg halves.
Spoon^1 / 4 cup hollandaise over each toast;
sprinkle with herbs and, if desired, black
pepper. —SUSAN SPUNGEN
WINE Toasty brut Champagne: NV
Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut
photography by GREG DUPREEFOOD STYLING: CHELSEA ZIMMER; PROP STYLING: CHRISTINE KEELY