Sauces for Tenderstem^® Broccoli

1. Hollandaise Sauce

One of the five mother sauces of French cuisine, Hollandaise sauce is made by emulsifying lemon juice, egg yolks and butter. It’s a simple sauce in its creation, but one that can so easily be ruined by overheating the sauce as you make it.

Hollandaise sauce is great for pairing with Tenderstem® Broccoli because the creamy and citrusy flavour balances perfectly with Tenderstem® Broccoli’s freshness and crunchy texture.

How to Make Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

• 10ml lemon juice (a small squeeze)
• 2 egg yolks
• 150g cold butter, cubed
• Pinch sea salt
• Keep: a cup of cold water to hand

Method

• Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl
• Add the lemon juice and egg yolks, and whisk until just foamy
• Add the butter, one or two cubes at a time, and whisk until incorporated
• Continue until you have used all the butter and you have a thick, pale sauce.
• Season with sea salt, taste and decide if you want to add more lemon juice, then serve.

Notes

If the sauce looks like it is about to split or is getting too thick too quickly, take it off the heat, add a teaspoon or two of cold water, then continue to whisk.

Now you know how to make a good Hollandaise sauce, why not try it yourself? Perfect for a tasty breakfast or an appetising starter as part of a main meal.

2. Béchamel Sauce

Just like Hollandaise sauce, Béchamel sauce is considered one of the mother sauces of French cuisine. However, at the heart of a good Béchamel sauce is a roux, rather than the emulsion in Hollandaise.

Béchamel’s roux is made by combining butter with flour. This is then combined with milk until you have a gloriously silky sauce that goes so well with Tenderstem® Broccoli.

How to Make Béchamel Sauce

Ingredients

• 30g butter
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 500ml hot milk
• Sea salt
• White pepper
• A little grated nutmeg

Method

• Melt the butter in a saucepan set over a low to medium heat, then stir in the flour
• Mix them together until the flour and butter come together in a ball, then keep stirring for another 30 seconds
• Pour in a little splash of milk, then stir it through until incorporated
• Repeat this, stirring then whisking in the hot milk a little at a time, until you have a thin but smooth liquid in the pan.
• Then increase the heat to medium, and using a wooden spoon, stir continuously as the mixture comes to the boil. Keep stirring for a further minute on the boil as the sauce thickens.
• The sauce is ready when it coats the back of the spoon (as shown). Taste and season with the sea salt, pepper and a little grating of nutmeg before using.

Cheese Sauce

A cheese sauce is a daughter sauce of Béchamel. This means you make the sauce in much the same way, and then add to it or change it in some way to create a distinct variation. In our recipe, we’ve used cheddar cheese but the type of cheese you choose to use depends on your preference. You could swap cheddar out for a Gruyère cheese if you wanted to go for a traditional cheese sauce, also known as a Mornay Sauce.

A good cheese sauce is a great way to indulge, whether that’s with your Sunday lunch or to give a hearty edge to a light fish supper. Tenderstem® Broccoli works perfectly with a cheese sauce, as the sauce clings to the florets creating a truly satisfying dish.

How to Make Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

• 30g butter
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 500ml hot milk
• 1 heaped tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
• 75g-100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• Sea salt
• White pepper

• Melt the butter in a saucepan set over a low to medium heat, then stir in the flour
• Mix them together until the flour and butter come together in a ball, then keep stirring for another 30 seconds
• Pour in a little splash of milk, then stir it through until incorporated
• Repeat this, stirring then whisking in the hot milk a little at a time, until you have a thin but smooth liquid in the pan.
• Then increase the heat to medium, and using a wooden spoon, stir continuously as the mixture comes to the boil. Keep stirring for a further minute on the boil as the sauce thickens.
• The sauce is ready when it coats the back of the spoon (as shown). Take the pan off the heat, then stir through the Dijon mustard and the cheddar cheese. Taste and season with the sea salt and white pepper to taste.