The classic recipe for this very rich sauce goes with everything from meat and fish to eggs and vegetables. It’s usually made in a double boiler, but if you don’t have one, you can improvise. Make a double boiler by putting one saucepan over another slightly larger one and filling the bottom one with an inch or so of water. Make the sauce in the top saucepan and let the water in the bottom pan simmer—it should not touch the sauce—so the sauce will cook slowly. If your sauce still breaks, transfer it to a bowl. Off the heat in the top of the double boiler, whisk another egg yolk. Gradually pour in the curdled sauce in a stream and whisk vigorously until all the broken sauce has been incorporated into the egg yolk. Make the sauce no more than 30 minutes before you plan on serving it. Do not attempt to reheat or it will break.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 1/4 cups

　　3 extra-large egg yolks

　　1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm

　　2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　Pinch of cayenne pepper

　　

Step 1

Combine the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of water in the top of a double boiler. Grasping the bowl with your left hand (if you are right-handed), hold the top of the double boiler over the simmering water in the bottom of the double boiler and begin to whisk vigorously. After a few minutes, the yolks will begin to get pale yellow and thick. To test if the yolks are thick enough to begin whisking in the butter, dip a spoon in. The yolks should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon before you proceed to the next step.

　　

Step 2

Remove the top of the double boiler from the heat and place it either on a kitchen towel or in a heavy skillet. While whisking the yolks, slowly add a stream of warm melted butter a little at a time, whisking until all the butter is incorporated.

　　

Step 3

Whisk in the lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper and taste for additional seasoning. Serve immediately.

　　Bubby’s Brunch Cookbook by Ron Silver and Rosemary Black. Copyright © 2009 by Ron Silver and Rosemary Black. Published by Ballantine Books. All Rights Reserved.