Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients:

125ml ghee (clarified butter), cool
2 egg yolks
3 tsp water
1 dessert spoon lemon juice
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper

Method:

Combine the egg yolks and milk in a steel bowl. Place this over a pan containing a small amount of boiling water (so the bowl is in the steam) and whisk the mixture continuously until it reaches the ribbon stage (when still lightly fluffy but thickened enough to fall off the whisk in ribbons).

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly then gradually whisk in the cold ghee until thoroughly combined (make sure to add the butter very slowly and to whisk furiously, as, if you add the butter too quickly the sauce will split). Add the lemon juice to taste and season with the salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.

The sauce must be kept at just above room temperature and should be served immediately with poached eggs, poached fish or delicately-flavoured vegetables such as broccoli, cucumbers and asparagus.

If the sauce has just separated then it can usually be saved either by placing a teaspoon of water in a clean bowl and whisking the sauce into this. Alternately you can place a fresh egg yolk in a steel bowl with some water and re-make the thickened egg mix before whisking the split hollandaise into this.