Step 1

To start, make sure your clarified butter is hot and liquid, (but not boiling). Place a pot of water on the stove to boil. This pot will be your double boiler over which we will partially cook the egg yolk

Step 2

Crack the eggs and separate the yolks into a large bowl. Add your white wine reduction (or lemon juice if using) to the egg yolks.

Step 3

Place the bowl over the double boiler and whisk the egg/wine mixture with one hand while holding the bowl in the other. You need to vigorously whisk the egg yolk back and forth as you are trying to incorporate air into the eggs as the steam from the boiling water below starts to gently cook the yolk.

Step 4

Keep whisking the eggs until they become creamy, thicken, and leave ribbon-like trails in the bowl when you run the whisk through it. Once you reach this ribbon stage you are ready to emulsify the butter into the egg yolk.

Step 5

Remove the yolk-filled bowl from the double boiler and cradle it in a 'nest' of kitchen towels on the counter. This nest will hold your bowl as you slowly whisk the hot butter into the egg mixture.

Step 6

Adding one ladle of butter at a time, slowly drizzle the butter into the yolk, while simultaneously whisking it. Make sure to completely whisk the one ladle of warm clarified butter into the egg mix before adding the next ladle.

Step 7

Keep adding the butter to the egg mix, ladle by ladle, until the mixture thickens and becomes rich and buttery.

Step 8

Season the hollandaise with lemon juice and Tabasco if desired.