Low Fat Hollandaise

I must admit that I've never really been a big fan of Hollandaise. Knowing that it was just an emulsion of butter and egg yolk didn't excite me all that much, and it really doesn't add all that much for me- to be honest I'd much rather have my poached eggs on toast with just a sprinkle of pepper. It has however grown on me, even if only slightly, a result of living in a household that loves their Eggs Benedict for breakfast. And although I have made a quick Hollandaise on a couple of occasions, I have been on a hunt for a healthier version of this classic sauce.

You see, because butter and egg yolk are both sources of saturated fat (i.e. the stuff that raises your 'bad' cholesterol levels), it's no surprise that the saturated fat content of Hollandaise is quite high- each tablespoon contains about 6 grams of saturated fat. Compare that to the Heart Foundation's recommendation of having less than 7% saturated fat intake per day i.e. around 15g per day for an adult male. And let's be honest- who's only putting a tablespoon of the stuff on their eggs benny?


So when I came across this yoghurt based Hollandaise, I was quite excited to give it a go- by replacing the butter with a low fat yoghurt, you are doing away with the majority of the saturated fat, cutting it down to less than 1g per 4 Tablespoons! I wasn't too sure how the tartness of the yoghurt would go, but it wasn't all too noticeable once the salt was added, although the family thought that a bit of sugar may have done well to take away the tartness more. Taste-wise it's not an exact replica of a regular Hollandaise, but served on top of my Salmon Benedict, it was a very satisfying substitute- and what I was most surprised to find was that the texture and appearance were very close. It'll most certainly be making a more regular appearance on our breakfast table now!!

Low Fat Hollandaise Sauce
Recipe from Food.com
Serves 6

1 cup low-fat plain yogurt, plain
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 egg yolks
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pinch fresh ground pepper

1. Beat yogurt, lemon juice, egg yolks well
2. Heat using a double boiler, or in a bowl over simmering water, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, approx 15 min (sauce will become thinner after about 10 min and then thicken again).
3. Remove from heat and stir in salt, mustard, pepper and dill/parsley (if using).