This is not as difficult as it sounds. Simon Hopkinson wrote a recipe that called for clarified butter (melted with the white stuff left behind) and it seems that everyone else is coming around to that way of thinking. Some much easier and less likely to make a muck of it.
Here's his version. I will track down Delia's version too.
This adaption retains all the shallot because that's the way we like it :)
*I don't suggest trying this for the first time under pressure....!
1 Tbsp tarragon or white wine vinegar
2tbsp snipped tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1 shallot, finely chopped
Ground black pepper
2 egg yolks
150g clarified butter (melted butter with the milk solids and water removed), cooled to tepid
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Combine the wine vinegar, tarragon, the shallot and pepper in a small, heavy-based saucepan and reduce by half over a low heat. Set aside to cool.
- When the vinegar reduction is cold, place in a bowl, add the egg yolks.Set bowl over a pan of just boiled water, keep pan on a low heat and whisk continuously, making sure that the whisk reaches right down into the bottom of the bowl. As you whisk the sauce should emulsify slowly.
- Turn off the heat and whisk the clarified butter into the sauce, a drop at a time to begin with then a bit more as the sauce 'takes'.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in lemon juice to taste. Check the seasoning and serve at once.
- Serve with Steak Frites and Green Beans :)
Adapted from Simon Hopkinson
