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1
Make reduction Combine wine, vinegar, shallot, and peppercorns in a small skillet over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1 tablespoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
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2
Add the boiling water and strain through a fine sieve into a heatproof nonreactive (stainless-steel or glass) bowl.
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3
Prepare bain marie (hot-water bath) Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat so water is barely simmering.
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4
Heat egg yolks Add egg yolks to strained reduction and whisk, off the heat, until they become pale.
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5
Place bowl over the bain-marie.
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6
Whisking constantly, cook until the mixture is thick enough to hold a trail from the whisk and begins to hold its shape when drizzled from the whisk.
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7
Remove from heat.
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8
Wipe off any mixture that may have cooked onto the side of the pot with a damp paper towel to prevent any lumps from forming.
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9
Incorporate butter Whisking constantly, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until each addition is incorporated completely before adding the next.
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10
When all the butter has been added, season with lemon juice, salt, and cayenne.
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11
The sauce should be thick but still able to drizzle from a spoon (and it should form a pool, not a mound).
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12
If it is too thick, thin it with a little water.
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13
Although traditionally made with melted clarified butter (page 88), softened butter emulsifies more readily with the egg yolks and produces a lighter texture.
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14
Do not overheat the egg yolks; temper them instead by mixing with a bit of boiling water before placing in the hot-water bath to keep them from scorching.
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15
Simmer over very low heat.
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16
If the egg mixture is heated too quickly, it turns grainy; if cooked too long over too high a temperature, it will scramble.
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17
Add butter gradually to allow the mixture to emulsify.
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18
Adding too quickly will cause the emulsion to break or separate, preventing the liquid and butter from combining.
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19
Adjust the finished sauce with water to thin, and add lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper to flavor.
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20
If not serving immediately, cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming, and set over a pot of water that has been brought to a simmer and then removed from heat, or in a warm spot on the stove for up to 1 hour.
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21
Alternatively, store in a clean thermos warmed with hot but not boiling water, holding it for 2 or 3 hours at most.
