Foolproof Hollandaise Sauce

Why This Recipe Works

Creamy, lemony hollandaise is most famously known as the indispensable finishing touch to classic eggs Benedict, but this silky sauce is a versatile and impressive way to elevate far more than just brunch. First, however, you have to make it successfully: Hollandaise is a notoriously finicky sauce that is prone to breaking because it requires butter to be emulsified into egg yolks. We take a departure from tradition in this recipe, whisking softened (not melted) whole butter into the eggs, noting that keeping the butter emulsified until making the sauce helps create a more stable emulsion. To foolproof it, the addition of boiling water while cooking the sauce turns this into a perfect hollandaise every time.