There are many dramatic moments in the restaurant business for which you have to be emotionally strong.  There is no crying in the restaurant business.

Jimmy Buffet was our guest for dinner in our home.  He brought along a couple of guests with him.  One of those guests was Hunter S. Thompson the inventor of gonzo journalism, author of “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas”, a candidate for sheriff and an all-around character.

I was so star struck by the attendees that I didn’t realize I was being auditioned for Jimmy’s upcoming wedding festivities.  The evening was chock full of exciting events but those will be told in another story.

Anyway, we passed the audition.  We got hired to cater the rehearsal dinner and the bachelor party.  Gert and I thought we got the parties because we were cool…wrong.

Jimmy’s fiancée, Janie wanted tradition to be followed whenever possible.  The rehearsal dinner was a family event at our restaurant the Wineskin.  The guests were straight, as in clean and sober.  If they only knew that “Rolling Stone” magazine was footing the bill.

We had the dining room set up in large U shape so everyone could see everything.  The cocktail, canapés and appetizer course went smoothly.  We had a service table set in the middle of the U shape so all the guests could watch me plate up the food.  After showing the guests the tray of food, I used the classic large fork and spoon method to plate the food.  This was a combo of French and Russian service.

The entree was Rack of Veal Prince Orloff.  This is a dish cooked by Escoffier for the Prince of Russia.  It was a full rack of veal with tenderloin attached.  Gert removed the tenderloins and cut them into medallions and then seared them.  He then made a Soubise, an old-school French sauce classically made by puréeing softened onions with béchamel and is a great pairing for all sorts of roasted meats.  Gert re attached the cooled medallions of veal onto their original spot on the rack with toothpicks with soubise between each medallion.  He covered the entire rack with very thick hollandaise before it went into the oven to brown.  Talk about rich!  The rack was placed on a large silver tray beautifully garnished for all to view.  I passed the tray in front of the guests and got lots of oohs and aahs.

I then returned to the center service table to begin the plating and the waiters lined up to serve the plates.  As I removed the toothpicks from the veal and began plating, with the very first plate I knew the veal was COLD.  With my very best poker face, I returned to the kitchen with the tray.  As I told Gert about the cold veal he stuck his finger in the rack and with a thick German accent he screamed “gosh damns it”.  He threw a plate across the kitchen as he scraped off the Hollandaise and returned the rack to the oven.  I was helping him separate eggs for the next batch of hollandaise when I noticed a tear rolling down Gert’s cheek.

The rack got hot, the thick hollandaise was slathered on and browned.  This redo only took 10 minutes but it felt like hours.  Luckily the guests were engaged in conversation and never noticed the delay.  What goes on behind those kitchen doors is so dramatic.

We had a waiter in full grizzly bear costume come in and present Jimmy a quart of Mount Gay rum.  Everyone was happy and full and left in good spirits.

 

Here is my technique for making hollandaise.  I’ve made it this way for years.  I call it “unbreakable” or “blender” hollandaise.  I was watching Mario Batali critique blender hollandaise and claimed that it was nothing more than mayonnaise.  Then he tasted the finished product and gave it his thumbs up.

The big difference in the “standing over a simmering water bath” technique of preparation is that “blender” daise (those were the daise) is thicker.  If stored in a warm thermal pitcher it will last for 8 hours.

It is the base for many classic sauces like Charon or béarnaise.  Use your imagination.  One of my favorites is a southwestern hollandaise, just substitute lime juice for lemon juice then add chipotle peppers and cilantro and voila you’ve got a new sauce.  I always say “if you change 3 ingredients, the recipe is yours”.  I’ve watched Gert whisk in hollandaise with Demi glas or hollandaise with a tomato sauce.  These combinations were made as off the menu specials, but the combos are endless and tasty.

 

UNBREAKABLE LIME-CILANTRO-JALAPENO HOLLANDAISE

INGREDIENTS

8 Extra Large Egg Yolks

2 TBL Herb Vinegar

3 Dashes Tabasco

2 Whole Limes-Juice Only

2 Bunches of Cilantro

1 or 2 Jalapenos – it depends on how much heat you like

1 Pound of Butter

1 Teaspoon Salt or to taste

 

METHOD

Melt one pound of butter in a sauce pan.  Bring the butter to a rapid boil and hold.  Blend egg yolks, herb vinegar, salt, tabasco and lime juice in the blender for 3 to 4 minutes at high speed.  Take boiling hot butter and very slowly add to blender (still on high).  Add butter with ladle, 1 ounce at a time.  Heat from the butter will cook the eggs.  If it becomes too stiff, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to thin.  Add peppers and cilantro or be inventive with the flavoring of your choice.  SET ASIDE IN A WARM PLACE or in a thermal pitcher.

 

This Hollandaise is very stable and can be made hours ahead.  (Note:  It may become too stiff after sitting for ½ hour or more.  Just add 1 to 3 tablespoons of water until thin enough to ladle.)