Classic Béarnaise sauce

Separate the tarragon leaves from the stems and chop the leaves finely. Peel and finely chop the shallots. In a small saucepan, combine wine and vinegar, shallots and tarragon stems. Boil at low simmer, uncovered, until volume is reduced by two-thirds. Strain the mixture.

In a separate bowl, beat the yolks and 1.5 tsp until foamy. cold water. Place the container in a water bath and continue whisking for 2-4 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove the container from the water bath and whisk the mixture until it cools slightly.

Add the egg mixture to the wine broth. Gradually pour in the melted butter, whisking constantly. Add chopped tarragon leaves. Season the sauce with salt and ground white pepper to taste. Reduce the sauce slightly.