Microwave Hollandaise Sauce

Microwave hollandaise sauce is fast, easy, and takes just a few ingredients. It’s far simpler than the traditional method, with a bright, lemony flavor and smooth, creamy consistency.

Years ago, a friend invited me to brunch at his family’s home. The featured dish was eggs Benedict, and one of his brothers was the designated specialist at making the hollandaise sauce from scratch. It seemed quite a production to me. He worked over a double boiler, tempering the eggs, whisking, and stirring for what seemed like an hour. In the end, the whole family oohed and aahed over the finished sauce. And I’ve gotta say, it was to die for!

Over the years, I made hollandaise from scratch many times myself, using the traditional method, the blender method, and others. Since we both worked full time, the weekends were the only times we really brunched, though. And with all the weekend chores – mowing, gardening, cleaning, washing, remodeling, etc., etc., etc. – it became a chore of its own.

I resorted to using hollandaise sauce mixes as a shortcut. But even Knorr, my favorite, wasn’t quite as brightly lemony as a scratch version. Finally, I ran across a microwave hollandaise sauce recipe in my trusty Fannie Farmer cookbook. A few tweaks and other changes led to this version.

How to Make Microwave Hollandaise Sauce

The real key to success with this microwave hollandaise sauce lies in using the medium power setting on your microwave. I recently read that many don’t know how to do this, so here’s a quick tip: Locate the Power button on your microwave’s control panel (usually in the lower left area), and press it repeatedly until the display shows ’50.’ That is 50% power, or medium. After you’ve done that, press the number buttons to set the amount of cooking time, then press Start. That’s all there is to it!

To make microwave hollandaise, you just melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, add the water and lemon juice, and let it all cool for a few minutes. While it’s cooling, separate three large eggs, reserving the whites for another use, and add the salt to the yolks in a small bowl. Whisk to blend, then whisk in a tablespoon or two of the cooled butter mixture to temper the egg yolks.

Pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture and whisk to blend. Cover and microwave on medium in 15-second increments, whisking well after every 15 seconds. It usually takes a total of 45 seconds in my microwave before the egg yolks begin to thicken around the edges of the container. Don’t overcook it; the sauce will continue to thicken a bit as it stands.

Enjoy it with home-cured Canadian bacon on eggs Benedict, over asparagus, or any other dish where you use hollandaise sauce.

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