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There is very little difference between mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce; each is basically an emulsion of egg yolk and fat, with various emulsifiers and flavours added.

The significant difference is that one uses oil that is already liquid at room temperature, and the other uses butter, which must be melted at a higher temperature.

The question is, why can't they be made exactly the same way, but at a temperature that is just high enough to melt the butter, not more than 40°C or 100°F?
I.e. why does hollandaise also require being effectively cooked as well?

Ray Butterworth
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2 Answers2

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You can make mayonnaise with butter, using the same technique. The probable reason you don't find it on shelves is that it hardens up in the refrigerator, nobody wants to have to warm up their mayo to use it. You can make hollandaise with oil instead of butter.

Although both are emulsions, mayonnaise and hollandaise are different consistencies, achieved with different methods.

GdD
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The techniques are not actually different. Both sauces are supposed to be made at a higher temperature.

The heat is not meant to melt the butter, it is used because of the way the egg yolk proteins react to heat. Their ability to emulsify the oil and to foam up starts to show at around 50 C, but is optimal at 72 C. This is why you should make both a mayonnaise and a hollandaise in a water bath for optimal results.

Since the mayonnaise also incorporates mustard, which helps with emulsification, and people have very powerful blenders, it is also possible to achieve an emulsified mayonnaise at lower temperatures. So you probably have come across recipes which do this as a time-saving shortcut. It is still not the recommended technique if you want to achieve quality.

rumtscho
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