hollandaise and béarnaise, each with its
advantages and disadvantages.
Cook the egg and water-based
ingredients first to a thick consistency,
then whisk in pats of whole butter to
emulsify the butterfat and thin the
continuous phase. This is Carême’s
method, and is the trickiest because the
small volume of the initial egg mixture is
easily overcooked.
Warm the yolks and water-based
ingredients, whisk in either whole or
clarified butter, then cook the mixture
until it reaches the desired consistency.
This is Escoffier’s method, and has the
advantage that the cook can control the
final consistency directly, and by heating
the entire volume of sauce.
Put all of the ingredients for the sauce in
a cold saucepan, turn the heat on low, and
start stirring. The butter gradually melts
and releases itself into the egg phase as