I had the most pleasant surprise a few days ago. My friend, Kathy, gave me a beautiful bunch of ramps fresh from her secret spot. I wanted to make something fantastic with them and what is more fantastic than eggs benedict with hollandaise? I sautéed spinach, ramps and shallots in olive oil (to compensate for the hollandaise), attempted to poach 2 eggs (6 eggs later, I had something that approximated poached eggs), sautéed pancetta and made the hollandaise. A lovely way to start the day.
Julia Child's Blender Hollandaise
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 stick butter, melted butter, heated until bubbling but not brown
1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Place egg yolks, salt and cayenne in blender, blend for a few seconds at high-speed until you have a smooth frothy mixture. Still at high-speed, start adding hot butter in a thin, steady stream, not too slowly. As you add butter, the sauce should thicken. When half the butter has been added, add lemon juice. Continue blending until all butter is used.