Hollandaise sauce flop

[tarosuma]

Hi everybody
Yippee, it is asparagus season here and I was very excited about giving the hollandaise recipe a go.  It was a disaster though, it was curdled and split and terrible.   
I read up on the recipe first and ended up using the one which I think was maybe Judy Dawn's or maybe it was Tenina's revised one (I think they are the same or very similar ?)
I have never made it before even without the TMX so I have no experience with it whatsoever.  Can anybody shed some light?
thanks so much!
Susan

[judydawn]

Yes it is one and the same tarosuma.  My daughter has had 1 out of 3 go wrong so I think it is a hit and miss thing.  Someone may know why but we certainly couldn't work it out.

[tarosuma]

Thanks Judy.  I had heard that it is a temperamental thing to make but was hoping for a success anyway!  oh well, maybe next time if I am ever game enough to potentially waste 4 eggs and 130g butter again!

[judydawn]

Yes, it doesn't fill you full of confidence if you aren't sure it is going to work everytime, especially if you have visitors.  Luckily for my DD, it was only us there for brunch the day she had her flop after having had 2 successful lots for others.

[foodiepep]

Did you use cold butter?

It's important that the butter is cold and hard as this way it melts/combines slowly and therefore stops it from splitting.

I've made the EDC one over a dozen times and haven't had it split.  I use everything at room temperature except the butter.

[berringamababe]

I had one curdle last week and have not had that happen before.  It was my fault I was destracted and I ended up with a bit of a mess!!!

I put my curdled mess in the fidge and let it cool then  back in TM zapped a few seconds and no one was the wiser, lovely and smooth.

[judydawn]

That's handy to know berringamababe.

[Merlin]

Definitely agree with cold butter and room temperature eggs. My DH is completely anal about his hollandaise sauce, so anything less than perfection for him is a disaster. I have to say that with my thermie, DH even agrees that my hollandaise tastes better than restaurant quality! All I need to do now is to get him to make it himself,so that he only has himself to blame if he doesnt like it.

[tarosuma]

Thanks for your replies!  It was a while ago now so I can't actually remember what temp the butter was.  I do often leave it out on the bench when the weather is cooler so maybe that was the problem.  Will try again with cold butter and see how I go, fingers crossed. 

[Rogizoja]

Tip from UK Fast and Easy Cooking: if the sauce splits, remove butterfly then add an ice cube and blend 30s/speed 8 to re-emulsify.  Repeat if necessary.  And another tip: Hollandaise can be held for up to 1 hour/60^o/speed 2 to 2 1/2 until you're ready to serve it.