Hollandaise Sauce

Anneliese Sense, Tucson, Arizona

(sauce, vinegar, eggs, butter, lemon juice )

Yield: about 1 ½ Cup

Ingredients

2  Tbsp white-wine vinegar
2  Tbsp water
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ black pepper
3 large egg yolks, beaten lightly
1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter cut into 12 pieces
1½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. In small heavy saucepan combine the vinegar, water, salt and pepper and reduce the liquid over moderately high heat to about 2 tablespoons. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 Tbsp cold water.
2. Add the egg yolks and cook mixture over very low heat, whisking until it is thick. Whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time, over low heat, lifting the pan occasionally to cool the mixture and adding each piece before the previous one is melted.
3. Cook the sauce, whisking until it is thick and add the lemon juice, the cayenne, and salt to taste.
4. The sauce may be kept warm, covered with buttered wax paper, in a pan of warm water.

Note: Use caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce risk, use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.