Duck Fat Hollandaise

5 from 3 votes
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duck fat hollandaise sauce
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Hollandaise is one of those old-school French “mother sauces” they teach you in cooking school. Only I never went to cooking school. My introduction to Hollandaise came in the early 1980s, when my family would go out on Sunday mornings to brunch — that unloved child of breakfast and lunch. Wretched food. I still hate “brunching” to this day, and until recently I hated Hollandaise, too.

Duck fat changed me. At some point I realized that you can make a Hollandaise without butter, and that you can add a little cayenne to spice things up. What was once a miserable, clotty butter bomb becomes a zingy, ducky, mayonnaise-like dream sauce! It’s still mostly fat, so a little goes a long way.

And making Hollandaise does not have to be difficult: This sauce comes together easily in a blender in less than 5 minutes. What’s not to love?

Serve this hollandaise with poached duck breast, eggs — especially duck eggs — or asparagus. Pretty, ain’t it?

duck fat hollandaise sauce
5 from 3 votes

Duck Fat Hollandaise

If you like duck fat Hollandaise, you will love chicken fat Hollandaise or bacon fat hollandaise -- let your imagination run wild!
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: French
Servings: 4 people
Author: Hank Shaw
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • A pinch of cayenne
  • 5 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 7 tablespoons melted duck fat
  • 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Instructions 

  • Put the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne in a blender and buzz it for about 30 seconds on medium power.
  • Drop the speed of the blender to low and take the insert out of the top of the blender. Slowly drizzle in the melted duck fat and butter. Return the insert to the top of the blender, turn the power up to high and buzz for 15 seconds or so.
  • Serve at once, although Hollandaise can be held for up to a few hours if you keep it in a warm place, like on top of your stove if you are cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 457IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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27 Comments

  1. Dave: Yes. Yes you are. Thank me later…

    Livermoron: I will be up there turkey hunting in a week or so. I spend a fair amount of time in Amador.

    Jen: Wow, you really, really need to come to California. I’ve rendered 1/2 cup of fat from just the Pope’s nose of just one pintail. I rarely see lean ducks where I hunt. And when I do, they are usually here right after a storm. Know where they come from? Oregon. 😉

  2. I love the idea, and I can’t wait to try it with some of the fat from our home raised roosters and turkeys, but fat from wild ducks? I don’t think an entire day’s limit would render the duck fat for this recipe. Maybe California ducks are different than Oregon ducks, but my experience is that wild ducks are extremely lean.

  3. I’ve been saving and using duck/goosefat since the 70’s. Use it in all sorts of thing, from roasting and deepfrying to drizzling on warm spinach salad with duck (or bacon) cracklings in a vinaigrette.
    Potatoes deep-fried or roasted in duck fat are a revelation.

    Hope I run into you hunting animals, fish, or mushrooms. I live near Sutter Creek.
    Very interesting site.

  4. I`m with you on thick gloppy brunches…and although I love a good, homemade hollandaise, your version is calling to me. Perhaps we`ll have a taste test one Sunday am…Theresa

  5. Damn, but that looks good! I can’t believe that I’m now going to start rendering and saving duck fat.

  6. Carolina: Now THAT is a good idea! May have to do that…

    Michael: I like the idea of bacon fat bearnaise.

    Deanna: Did you find that you needed to keep the duck fat pastry really, really cold? It melts so easily I’ve always had a tough time dealing with it in baking.

  7. This great recipe reminds me how remiss I’d been last year in my waterfowl hunting…sniffle, sniffle… 😉

  8. fantastic…one (revolutionary) change of ingredient…a whole different perspective. Very elegantly combined with the white asparagus.

  9. Great idea, Hank. I made fabulous puff pastry using duck fat and butter… came out beautifully. Will have to try this… have just read about Dutch Sauce, a version of hollandaise made with elderflower vinegar and cream… I think it could be very interesting with duck fat.

  10. Genius! I imagine that this would work with other sauces too? Inspires me to try making a beef fat or bacon fat bearnaise for steak instead of the usual butter based sauce.

  11. I have lots of duck fat in my freezer. Never thought to make hollandaise with it. But then I rarely make hollandaise. I will keep this idea in mind for next time.

  12. Hank, I think you need to add to your “Shop” link a personalized tee shirt asking, “Got Duck Fat?” I’m good for two orders.

  13. Gorgeous plate. Those chilli threads make all the difference. I can imagine how good this is. Very nice 🙂

  14. This … this … this cannot be! How in the world am I going to get this past my fat-phobic wife? Ah screw it! Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

  15. I actually like brunch food — when it is done well. The problem is there is far too much BAD brunch food out there. Nowadays, the only place I really like brunch is at home. But this? Yes, please!