Showerthought: I was sure adding a splash of vinegar to my hollandaise was a hack to save a broken sauce, but after it curdled three batches in a row at the brunch rush, I'm convinced it's terrible advice.

Has anyone actually made this work, or is it just one of those kitchen myths that keeps getting passed around?

3 comments

3 Comments

My old chef swore by a single drop of lemon juice, not vinegar, to bring it back together. He said vinegar is way too strong and will split it every time.

grantmartinez28d ago

Didn't my buddy's sauce totally die when he tried that?

hayden14428d ago

I read a whole article on Serious Eats about sauce chemistry that said acid should be added at the start, not as a rescue. Trying to add vinegar to a broken hollandaise just shocks the emulsion. What emery736 said about lemon juice tracks, because it's milder, but even that's risky on a falling apart sauce. The real fix is starting over with a new yolk and slowly whisking the broken sauce back in. That brunch rush panic is the worst time to try any acid hack.