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
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.
Had some goose fat, decided to give it a try. We also are not big fans of Hollandaise, but this is amazing!
Trey W: Excellent idea!!!
Wow, just came across this one and I HAVE to try it!! This got me thinking… Have you ever experimented with Duck Fat Mayonnaise?
Holy Smokes! I place duck, and especially it’s delicious fat, high upon my culinary pedestal. And it is for this very reason. That looks so good it should be a crime to make it (well, it is to those darn vegans 🙂 ). I’m going to make this and post it sometime in the future.
Everytime I look at that picture it reminds me of catching shrimp in north carolina.
The turkeys are everywhere! Saw the largest one in my life crossing Ridge Rd. like he owned it. Any recommendations on getting started turkey hunting?
I have de-boned and stuffed turkeys and geese and it is a ton of fun. Stuffed the goose with sauerkraut, caraway, grapes, currants, and raisins then reformed it. Made a stock reduction from the bones and deglazed with Riesling. Served with homemade (of course!) Spaetzle.
Like I was in Alsace.
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. 😉
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.
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.
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
Damn, but that looks good! I can’t believe that I’m now going to start rendering and saving duck fat.
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.
This great recipe reminds me how remiss I’d been last year in my waterfowl hunting…sniffle, sniffle… 😉
fantastic…one (revolutionary) change of ingredient…a whole different perspective. Very elegantly combined with the white asparagus.
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.
Duck fat hollandaise. That is brilliant.
Love the styling in that photo!
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.
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.
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.
Gorgeous plate. Those chilli threads make all the difference. I can imagine how good this is. Very nice 🙂
Oh yeah – you have officially changed my world. Ima so gonna make blank-fat Hollandaise next time…
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!
p.s. – great styling and photo, Holly.
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!
brilliant!
That had never occurred to me to use duck fat in place of butter, you might be a genius.