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1
Cut the 6 to 8 ounces butter into pieces and melt it in the saucepan over moderate heat.
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2
Then set it aside.
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3
Beat the egg yolks for about 1 minute in the saucepan, or until they become thick and sticky.
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4
Add the water, lemon juice, and salt, and beat for half a minute more.
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5
Add 1 Tb of cold butter, but do not beat it in.
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6
Then place the saucepan over very low heat or barely simmering water and stir the egg yolks with a wire whip until they slowly thicken into a smooth cream.
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7
This will take 1 to 2 minutes.
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8
If they seem to be thickening too quickly, or even suggest a lumpy quality, immediately plunge the bottom of the pan in cold water, beating the yolks to cool them.
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9
Then continue beating over heat.
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10
The egg yolks have thickened enough when you can begin to see the bottom of the pan between strokes, and the mixture forms a light cream on the wires of the whip.
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11
Immediately remove from heat and beat in 1 Tb cold butter, which will cool the egg yolks and stop their cooking.
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12
Then beating the egg yolks with a wire whip, pour on the melted butter by droplets or quarter-teaspoonfuls until the sauce begins to thicken into a very heavy cream.
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13
Then pour the butter a little more rapidly.
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14
Omit the milky residue at the bottom of the butter pan.
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15
Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
