Recipe: Maltese sauce

Name: Maltese sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 4 cl (1.4 fl oz) fresh orange juice from untreated oranges with a few zests cut into fine julienne and blanched thoroughly; 3 egg yolks; 8 cl (0.3 cup) rice vinegar (if possible); 150 g (5.25 oz) butter; fine salt

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.7/5 (3 reviews)

Prep 20 min

Cook 15 min

Total 35 min

Maltese sauce is a hollandaise reworked with fresh orange juice and rice vinegar. Four centilitres of fresh juice, blanched zest, eight centilitres of vinegar reduced to a quarter: that's the trick. Mount it over a bain-marie like mayonnaise, folding in 150 grams of clarified butter. Serve warm over asparagus or shellfish.

Ingredients

4 cl (1.4 fl oz) fresh orange juice from untreated oranges with a few zests cut into fine julienne and blanched thoroughly
3 egg yolks
8 cl (0.3 cup) rice vinegar (if possible)
150 g (5.25 oz) butter
fine salt

Step-by-step directions

1 Melt your butter, remove the film (casein) floating on top and keep it warm.

2 In a small saucepan, reduce the vinegar by three-quarters then dip the bottom of your saucepan into cold water. Add your egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of orange juice and whisk well.

3 Set the saucepan over a bain-marie at simmering point and whisk your Maltese sauce continuously, making figure-eight motions with your whisk. When it is thick enough, remove it from the heat and slowly pour in the butter using a ladle, stopping just before the buttermilk which should not be used. Add the blanched zests to incorporate them and build the sauce like a mayonnaise.

4 Add a pinch of salt on top of your Maltese sauce and stir.

5 This sauce is perfect as an accompaniment to warm appetizers such as asparagus, shellfish, and so on. And if you can find blood oranges, it will be outstanding.

Chef's tip

Maltese sauce is really a spring and summer thing, when untreated oranges are easy to find at the greengrocer and asparagus arrives at the markets. Historically, it was born in classical French kitchens, a clever twist on hollandaise that was mounted with eggs and vinegar, enhanced with orange acidity. It demands focus (no more than five minutes of whisking over a bain-marie), and that's its real challenge: the temperature must stay just under 60°C, otherwise the yolks cook and you end up with a grainy soup. Think warm green asparagus, poached langoustines, soft-boiled eggs kept warm. In autumn and winter, blood oranges make it even more interesting, with an almost fruity note. For white oranges, prefer a small bitter Seville orange if you find one: less sweet, more citrusy. With wine, serve it with a dry mineral white, a Sancerre or Chablis that isn't afraid of acidity. A Meursault if you're doing things properly. Red wines? Avoid them, the vinegar and orange ruin the balance. A dry Provence rosé can work, if you stay with light notes. This sauce is a piece of cooking that demands respect: respect for the emulsion, respect for temperature, respect for timing. It's not a sauce to make five minutes before service. Prepare it early, keep it warm (but not too warm), and pour it warm onto the plate. High-end restaurant first courses look like this.

Frequently asked questions

How do you prevent the Maltese sauce from breaking while whisking over the bain-marie?

The secret is keeping the bain-marie temperature just below 60°C. As soon as the saucepan feels too hot, dip the bottom in cold water for a few seconds. Whisk continuously in a figure-eight motion: it takes time, but that's how you build the emulsion without breaking it.

How long does Maltese sauce keep in the fridge?

Two days maximum, in an airtight container. Don't freeze it: the emulsion will break during thawing. If you make it ahead, keep it at 45°C in a warm saucepan on a gentle heat, otherwise it thickens as it cools.

Can you replace rice vinegar with another type of vinegar?

Yes, but be careful. Standard white vinegar is too harsh, it overpowers the orange. Try white wine or cider vinegar. Reduce it slightly less (two-thirds instead of three-quarters) to keep more sweetness. The acidity should stay in the background, let the orange shine.