Perfect Hollandaise Sauce Recipe:

Important:  Do not be tempted to hurry the process along.  Only use very low heat - this is the secret to making perfect Hollandaise Sauce.

Use a stainless steel, round bottom bowl. The round bottom will make it easier for you to beat the egg yolks evenly and the stainless steel will not react to the acid and discolor your hollandaise sauce.

Using a wire whisk, whisk egg yolks and lemon juice vigorously in a heavy, medium-size saucepan over very low heat until mixture has thickened and doubled in volume.  Eggs start to curdle at around 160 to 170 degrees F. (71 to76 degrees C).  The trick is to heat your egg yolks enough to get them thick, but stop right before they reach this temperature.  

Do not be tempted to hurry things along by turning the heat up, the sides of the pan should be cool enough to touch at all times.

Add 1/2 of the butter and white wine and stir constantly, still over very low heat, with the wire whisk until butter is melted (be sure butter melts slowly so eggs have time to cook and thicken sauce without curdling or scrambling).  Add the remaining butter and white wine and continue to whisk until butter melts.

If you do notice that your sauce in beginning to look grainy and slightly curdled, this is an indication that the sauce is about to break.  Immediately stop what you are doing and add a small splash of cool water.  Then whisk vigorously until completely smoother.

Resume adding butter.

As raw eggs carries a risk of salmonella infection.  Heat the sauce to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. on your digital thermometer to kill bacteria.

Add peppercorns, white vinegar, and salt; continue vigorous stirring until combined.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Keep your hollandaise sauce warm over a double boiler until ready to serve.  The best holding temperature is about 145 degrees F. (63 degrees C.).  For food safety, hollandaise should not be held any longer than two hours.

TIP:  I put my Hollandaise Sauce in a small thermos to keep warm until serving time.

Makes approximately 1 cup.