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Emulsion Sauces

Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-643 -- More Projects »
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Overheating a hollandaise sauce can cause it to break, leaving scrambled eggs instead.
Food chemist Shirley Corriher explains what emulsions are and how they work.
  • Emulsion sauces are basically two liquids that don't naturally blend with each other, such as vinegar and oil. Hollandaise, bearnaise, beurre blanc, even classic mayonnaise and vinaigrettes are all emulsion sauces.

  • The key to an emulsion sauce is making sure that it doesn't separate into its component parts. Egg yolks and extra-virgin olive oil are emulsifiers that can "break" when not handled properly, such as when they are overheated. Modified starches can improve emulsion stability and provide viscosity.

Resources
Cookwise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking
by Shirley Corriher (ISBN: 0688102298)
OUT OF BUSINESS--William Morrow & Company, 1997
Order this title from Amazon.com.
This very different cookbook helps readers to spot bad recipes, improve recipes and create some of their own.

Also in this Episode
Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-643
•Emulsion Sauces
•Homemade Stickers
•Hillside Garden
•Smart Solution of the Day
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