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1
Fill large saucepan with 5cm water; bring to gentle simmer. Place heatproof bowl over pan (not touching water); whisk egg yolks with cold water until pale and thick, 2–3 minutes, maintaining bowl temperature at 65–70°C.
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2
Remove bowl from heat; slowly drizzle in warm clarified butter while whisking constantly, adding dropwise first 30ml to establish emulsion.
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3
Continue whisking in remaining butter in thin steady stream; sauce will thicken and lighten.
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4
Whisk in lemon juice; season with salt, white pepper, and cayenne.
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5
If sauce breaks or becomes grainy, start fresh bowl with 1 egg yolk and 15ml cold water; slowly whisk in broken sauce to re-emulsify.
