Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

• 5 egg yolks (fresh)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar (sounds odd, but he thinks it helps with the proteins)
• 1/2 cup butter, cut into tablespoon-size chunks

Directions

1. 1

   Place an inch of water in a small pot and bring to a boil.

2. 2

   Place the egg yolks in a large metal bowl (large enought to sit on top of the pot with a souple inches to spare) and whisk vigorously until they lighten in texture and color. (This is important, it unwinds the proteins in the yolks, which will prevent them from curdling when faced with the lemon juice.).

3. 3

   Add 2 t of the lemon juice, 1/4 t cayenne, pinch of salt and 1 t sugar. Whisk until smooth.

4. 4

   When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium low and place the bowl on top of the pot.

5. 5

   Whisk the egg mixture gently but continuously for about 7 minutes, or until it moves like very heavy cream (the whisk will leave a definite trail in the liquid).

6. 6

   Remove the bowl from the pot and set it on a dish towel (for stablity).

7. 7

   Whisk the butter into the mixture 1 piece at a time, allowing each piece to melt almost completely before adding the next.

8. 8

   Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve immediately.