Sauce Mousseline or Chantilly (Hollandaise, Whipped Cream)

This 2nd generation mother sauce derives from Sauce Hollandaise. Serve with cooked vegetables, fish or eggs. A mousseline sauce is a luxurious, light, smooth and very rich version of a classic Hollandaise sauce. However, the classic has a very generous helping of whipped cream carefully folded into it, making it just gorgeous. The mousseline is also called a sauce Chantilly, reminiscent of the favourite dessert sauce, Chantilly cream because of the airy cream component. But these two should never be confused and are not substitutes for each other. The mousseline is for savoury dishes and the Chantilly, sweet. So perhaps best to skip the second description. Mousseline translates as muslin in French, and as this also describes a delicate, light cloth, which neatly sums up the texture needed. As a classic mousseline sauce is so light and airy, you need to think carefully about what to serve the sauce with; it will not hold up to strong, or heavy flavours or textures. The mousseline needs to be served with other equally delicate textured foods, like fish and eggs. The eggs used to make this sauce must be as fresh and possible and where possible use free range, preferably organic. They are not cooked for long in the recipe, so freshness is paramount.

Sauce Hollandaise:
4 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter
¼ tsp. sea salt
⅛ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
⅛ tsp. white pepper, freshly ground

Sauce Mousseline (Muslin):
½ cup whipping cream, chilled

Make the Hollandaise:
Whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice until double/triple in volume.

Melt butter in small saucepan; let simmer or "cook" for 5 or more minutes or until it gives off a strong, nutty aroma.

Place yolk mixture in metal mixing bowl over another larger saucepan with water at the bottom and place over medium heat; ensure the bottom of the mixing bowl isn’t touching the water.

Very, very slowly, add butter to yolk mixture, continually whisking. Continue until all of the butter is added (this will take several minutes).

Add salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper and whisk again.

For the Muslin Sauce:
Whip chilled cream to soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the Hollandaise and whisk again.

Serve right away.

Makes about 2 cups.

If You Can't Serve Right Away:
Keep warm over a double boiler (ban-marie) until ready to serve. The best holding temperature is about 145°F (63°C). This temperature both discourages the growth of bacteria and is hot enough to keep the fat in your Hollandaise from solidifying. For both food safety and quality control, Hollandaise should not be held any longer than two hours.

How to Fix a Broken or Curdled Hollandaise:
If your Hollandaise breaks or curdles, it’s salvageable. Pass through a chinois (fine mesh seive) to strain out any curdled portions of the Hollandaise. Make sure to keep the whole strained portion of the sauce warm. Add 1 yolk plus 1 Tbsp. of warm water to a new stainless-steel mixing bowl and whisk in your strained Hollandaise. Voila!

Consistency Issues:
If your sauce is too thick, you can stream in a little warm water (a drop at a time) to loosen it up.

If your sauce is too thin, take a clean bowl and set it over a small saucepan with gently simmering water. Whisk an egg yolk with a drop of cold water in this clean bowl. Very slowly add your sauce, drop by drop (like you did with the melted butter), into the egg mixture and continue stirring until it thickens up to your desired consistency.

If you start getting some slight clumps, you may be able to fix the sauce by quickly moving the bowl over to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Then you can vigorously whisk the clumps out. If it's not working, it's best to start over.