Abstract This paper discusses Hollandaise sauce, the origin of its name, its culinary history and how it is prepared. The writer provides the recipe of the first recorded use of a Hollandaise-like sauce in a cookbook from 1651, and explains how it is made traditionally and in its more modern variations. The writer notes that it is also the basis for other well-known sauces such as Bearnaise sauce and mayonnaise. The writer discusses several of the dishes which are paired with Hollandaise sauce, such as Eggs Benedict, and explains why Hollandaise is currently not as popular as it used to be.
From the Paper "Sauces were first created because of the lack of refrigeration in the early days of cooking, to mask the flavor of tainted foods, or to make the less appetizing parts of an animal seem more enticing. Hollandaise sauce literally means Holland-style or from Holland in French. It is widely thought to have come to France as a Flemish or Dutch sauce thickened with eggs with the consistency of savory custard, and made with a little butter beaten in to smooth the texture. The French adopted it into their own culinary repertoire and made it uniquely 'French,' and most people regard its current incarnation as a French sauce. All French chefs trained in the Escoffier tradition will know how to make Hollandaise sauce, whether they like the sauce or not!"
