Hollandaise Sauce

★★★★★

Sauce

Ingredients

3 large egg yolk

8 Ounce(s) melted butter

1 1/2 Tablespoon(s) warm water

2 Teaspoon(s) lemon juice

1/2 Teaspoon(s) salt

Optional Ingredients:

1 Dash(s) Worcestershire sauce

1 Dash(s) tabasco

Directions

Use a small, thick ceramic bowl set in a heavy-bottomed pan, or a heavyweight double boiler. Off the heat, put the egg yolks and warm water in the bowl or upper section of the double boiler and stir with a wire whisk until well-blended. The mixture should never be beaten but stirred, evenly, vigorously and continually.

Place the container over hot water (if you are setting the bowl in water, there should be about 1 1/2 inches of water in the pan; in a double boiler, the water should not touch the top section). Stirring eggs continuously, bring the water slowly to a simmer. Do not let it boil.

Stir, incorporating the entire mixture so there is no film at the bottom. When the eggs have thickened to consistency of very heavy cream, begin to add the cooled melted butter with one hand, stirring vigorously with the other. Pour extremely slowly so that each addition is blended into the egg mixture before more is added. When all the butter has been added, add the lemon juice or vinegar a drop at a time and immediately remove from heat. Add salt and worcesterhire sauce.