Hollandaise Sauce - something to smile about!

A man went to his dentist and had some new dental plates (dentures) put in. A few weeks later, as he was eating, he noticed that the plates were disintegrating in his mouth, literally falling apart as he chewed. He returned to his dentist and told him about the problem. "Hmmm, I don't see this happen very often," said the dentist. "Have you been hit or struck in the mouth by any object?" "No, nothing like that," the man replied. "How about your diet? Are you eating any one type of food a lot? Something acidic?" "Well, I eat pretty normally, but I do enjoy Hollandaise sauce. A lot!" "Hollandaise sauce? How often do you eat Hollandaise sauce?" asked the doctor. "All the time! I used to eat it just with poached eggs and asparagus, but I've grown to love it so much, I now make it all the time and eat it with nearly everything. In fact, I even have a jar of it with me now in my jacket pocket - in case I get hungry!" "Well, there's the problem!" the dentist said. "You see, the acid in the Hollandaise sauce is causing your plates to break down." "What can we do?" said the man. "I love my Hollandaise sauce habit. I have to keep eating it. I refuse to stop." "Not a problem. We'll just put some different dental plates in your mouth. We'll give you chrome plates." "Chrome plates? Are you serious?" the man asked in surprise. "Of course," the dentist said. "Don't you know? There's no plates like chrome for the Hollandaise."

So! Whether you're smiling or groaning after reading that (I wish I knew who to credit for the joke which you'll find in various versions on the internet!), please note that eating Hollandaise Sauce will not ruin your teeth. However, a steady diet of it might be a bit boring, not to mention high in calories! You'll see from the recipe below that Hollandaise Sauce gets it smooth, rich texture and luxurious flavour - yes, from egg yolks, but also from butter. It's an indulgent sauce that you'll want to eat occasionally, not regularly. Having said that, it really tastes quite divine spooned over a soft-poached egg. Here's a quick and easy microwave recipe for Hollandaise sauce.

Hollandaise Sauce

(Makes 3/4 cup/175 mL)

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
• 3 egg yolks 1 tbsp (15 mL)
• lemon juice 1/4 tsp (1 mL)
• dry mustard

In a 2-cup (500 mL) glass measuring cup, microwave butter on High (100% power) until melted, about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, stirring partway through heating.

Meanwhile, in a 4-cup (1 L) glass measuring cup, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice and dry mustard.

Whisk melted butter, adding a little at a time, into egg yolk mixture. Microwave on MEDIUM (50% power) until sauce thickens, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, whisking halfway through and at end of cooking to produce a smooth sauce.

Serve immediately over poached eggs, asparagus, broccoli or fish.