Cooks' note:
The egg yolks will not be fully cooked in this sauce, which may be of concern if there is a problem with salmonella in your area.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
White pepper to taste
3 large egg yolks
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
Preparation
Step 1
Boil vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, salt, and white pepper in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan until reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon water.
Step 2
Whisk in yolks, then cook over very low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened (be careful not to scramble yolks), about 1 minute. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, lifting pan occasionally to cool sauce and adding each piece before previous one is completely melted.
Step 3
Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice, cayenne, and salt to taste.
