Maltaise Sauce

Ingredients

• 17 tablespoons butter unsalted (2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon)
• 1 large blood oranges 
• 1 tablespoon citrus champagne vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns cracked white crushed
• 4 large egg yolk 
• 1 serving coarse salt 
• 0.5  juice of lemon 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• knife
• whisk
• pot
• sieve
• cheesecloth

Directions

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; slowly bring to a boil, skimming froth from surface. Carefully pour melted butter into a small bowl, holding back the milky sediment in the bottom of the pan. The clarified butter should be the color of light olive oil; let cool to room temperature.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat; prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Using a paring knife, remove zest from oranges in large strips, reserving oranges.
3. Add zest to boiling water; cook until softened, about 1 minute.
4. Drain and transfer to ice-water bath to cool.
5. Drain and very finely chop; set aside.
6. Squeeze juice from oranges into a small saucepan.
7. Place saucepan over low heat and cook until juice is reduced by one third.
8. Add zest to saucepan and remove from heat; set aside to cool.
9. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix vinegar with 1/4 cup cold water and crushed peppercorns.
10. Place over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced by one third; remove from heat and let cool completely.
11. Add egg yolks to cooled reduction and whisk to combine.
12. Place saucepan on a heat diffuser over very low heat; whisk, making sure the whisk comes in contact with the bottom of the pan. Gradually increase heat, whisking so the sauce emulsifies progressively and becomes smooth and creamy, 8 to 10 minutes; do not let the temperature of the sauce rise above 150 degrees.
13. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in clarified butter in a slow, steady stream; season with salt. Stir in lemon and orange juice mixture. Line a chinois or fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth; strain mixture and discard solids. Use sauce immediately.