* 1/2 cup butter
* 3 large egg yolks
* 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* A dash of cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce
* 2 to 4 tablespoons hot water
1. Heat butter in a heavy saucepan until hot but not browned.
2. In a small bowl, whisk or beat egg yolks with lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper or hot sauce.
3. Gradually beat in butter, then gradually add water until consistency is light.
4. Return mixture to saucepan and beat over very low heat until mixture is *slightly* thickened.
Makes about 2/3 cup.
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I offer this recipe first, because it's *not* what I had today when I ordered Eggs Benedict from the Blue Moon Diner - but I'm ahead of my story.
I walked in around 7:30AM - granted, it was daylight savings time changeover, but that left ample opportunity to get the help out of bed and get them to work in time to at least turn the heat on. Upon walking through the front door, I noticed that the place was *cold*, and the young lady behind the counter had her coat on - there was one other person in the kitchen.
Coffee was served and my order taken - given that there wasn't anyone else in the place, I figured food would be up shortly. Evidently, even though the place opens at least an hour earlier, it took around twenty minutes to get my Eggs Bennie on the table.
I had to go searching for my own coffee refills. The waitress, who was busy doing something else behind the counter with her back turned, said, "You scared me!"
Food. Yes. This is where the recipe above gains some primacy.
Y'see, Hollandaise should be made from the ingredients above. It should be a light, lemony concoction, served over lightly-poached eggs which grace a slice of grilled ham, which, in turn, graces the top of a toasted English muffin.
What I got was made from mayonnaise, flour, water, and Worcestershire sauce, and looked like baby crap.
Yes. Baby crap.
I managed about half of it - and pushed the rest aside. Hashbrowns were strictly S.E. Rykoff material.
I understand that this place changed owners a couple of years ago, which was the last time I'd had a hankering for Hollandaise on the suburban west-side.
Do yourself a favor. Make the drive into Portland to the Bijou Cafe (they open around 8:00AM), or check out the Eggs Bennie at the Hotel D-Lux just west of I-405 where the Mallory Motor Hotel used to be. Both are far better bets.
Pros: None; any more
Cons: Most everything
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