• First, pick the tarragon leaves from the stalks then finely chop the leaves and set to one side. Save the stalks for the reduction.

  Pick enough leaves for 2 tablespoons of chopped tarragon! You'll need most (if not all) of a 20g bunch. You can use all of the stalks for the reduction.

Vinegar Reduction

• Add the vinegar, shallot, peppercorns and herbs into a small saucepan then set over a medium heat.
• Bring the vinegar to the simmer then cook until the liquid has reduced by half. This will take 5-10 minutes.
• Once the vinegar has reduced, pass it through a sieve, into a heatproof mixing bowl. This is what we'll be making the béarnaise sauce in.

  Press the herbs & shallots with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.

Clarified Butter

• There's 2 ways that you can clarify the butter! The method that I use is to roughly chop up the butter then place into a heatproof jug and microwave on low heat until melted (without stirring!). Then once melted, skim any white foam off the top.

  The clarified butter needs to be used whilst it's hot, so make it just before the sauce.
• Alternatively, add the chopped butter into a small saucepan then cook over a low heat until melted, without stirring. Once melted, use a spoon to skim any white foam off the top of the butter then pour the clarified butter into a jug, leaving the milk solids in the bottom of the pan.

Béarnaise Sauce

• Set the bowl with the vinegar in over a pan of barely simmering water (a bain marie) then whisk in the egg yolks.
• Cook the yolks, whisking constantly until the mix is very pale and thick enough to leave ribbons on top when you lift the whisk out. This will take 4-6 minutes.
• Once the eggs are ready, take the bowl off the heat then slowly pour in the clarified butter whilst whisking constantly. Make sure to pour the butter in, in a thin stream.

  Set the bowl over an empty saucepan with a tea towel in to stop it sliding around!
• If the sauce is too thick once all of the butter has been added in, whisk in a splash of the milk solids (from when you clarified the butter) or a splash of warm water.
• To finish your Béarnaise sauce, add in the chopped tarragon & lemon juice then season with salt & pepper. Give the sauce a taste then add in more lemon juice, tarragon, salt or pepper as needed.
• Serve your Béarnaise straight away or set it back over the pan of warm water (off the heat) to keep warm. It's best served within an hour of being made.