Julia Child was a great lady, an excellent educator, and a very warm and generous person as well. When I first thought to do bed and breakfast cookbook in 1985, our mutual friend Marion Cunningham (author of Fannie Farmer Cookbook and Lost Recipes: meals to share with family and friends) made an introduction and Julia was kind enough to give me some very practical advice about what readers want and how to write a successful cookbook-who would know better? A recipe of Julia’s that I use all the time and was actually one of the first “French” recipes I learned as a teen watching her show, was for Hollandaise Sauce. I still use the original recipe which can be varied by using tarragon vinegar and a little dried tarragon made into a reduction, which when cooled, may be used in place of the lemon juice to make a classic sauce for meats. Julia Childs mentions sauce recipes from Mastering The Art of French Cooking several times in her memoir, “My Life In France.” There’s a photocopy of a piece of paper that contains her hollandaise sauce recipe that she typed herself. It’s marked “ Top Secret!” On a side note, if you’re thinking about reading “My Life In France”, you definitely should! I absolutely loved it!
Hollendaise Sauce Recipe from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”:
Ingredients
· 3 egg yolks
· 1 tablespoon water
· 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, if needed (or more)
· 6-8 ounces very soft unsalted butter
· 1 dash cayenne pepper
· Salt, to taste
· Fresh ground white pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Whisk the yolks, water, and lemon juice in the saucepan for a few moments, until thick and pale (this prepares them for what is to come).
2. Set the pan over moderately low heat and continue to whisk at reasonable speed, reaching all over the bottom and insides of the pan, where the eggs tend to overcook.
3. To moderate the heat, frequently move the pan off the burner for a few seconds, and then back on. (If, by chance, the eggs seem to be cooking too fast, set the pan in the bowl of cold water to cool the bottom, then continue).
4. As they cook, the eggs will become frothy and increase in volume, and then thicken. When you can see the pan bottom through the streaks of the whisk and the eggs are thick and smooth, remove from the heat.
5. By spoonfuls, add the soft butter, whisking constantly to incorporate each addition. As the emulsion forms, you may add the butter in slightly larger amounts, always whisking until fully absorbed. Continue incorporating butter until the sauce has thickened to the consistency you want.
6. Season lightly with salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper, whisking in well. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding droplets of lemon juice if needed. Serve lukewarm.
Julia Childs updated version of this recipe is found in her “Mastering the Art of French Cooking 40th Anniversary Edition”;
BLENDER HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
Start to finish: 5 minutes
Makes about 3/4 cup
Ingredients:
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
Directions:
In a blender, combine the egg yolks, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium-high, add the butter and heat until foaming.
Blend the egg yolk mixture at top speed for 2 seconds then, with the blender running, remove the cover and pour in the hot butter in a thin stream of droplets. By the time two-thirds of the butter has been added, the sauce will be a thick cream. Continue pouring, but don't pour in the milky residue at the bottom of the pan. Taste and adjust seasonings.
If not using the sauce immediately, set the blender carafe in tepid, but not warm, water.
"For years he (but very rarely she), the chef, was considered, an artisan, not an artist. Professional cooking was a career, but it was not looked upon by the public as an honored profession...Now, some twenty years later (after Escoffier), chefs and cooks and American cuisine are indeed news."
ReplyDelete—Julia Child,