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I just tried making a classic hollandaise sauce for the first time and it completely broke on me. I was whisking the egg yolks and lemon juice over the double boiler, then drizzled in the melted butter slowly, but it just turned into a greasy, separated mess instead of that creamy emulsion. What’s the most likely thing I did wrong?

That sounds like an emulsion in hollandaise that never set. Most likely heat was too high or you added butter too quickly. In practice the yolk and lemon want a steady, barely warm bath and a slow drizzle of fat; if the temperature jumps, the fats separate and you end up with that greasy layer on top.

I’ve had that exact mess before. I kept whisking and it got slick, then greasy. I tried a drop of hot water to nudge it back, and it helped a bit but usually it’s a lost cause.

Could be the butter wasn’t clarified; moisture and solids can throw things off and make it split.

Was your butter warm or cold when you added it?

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