Instructions

1. Cut your butter into cubes of approximately 1 tablespoon each. Keep them in the refrigerator while you prepare your other ingredients, because the butter must be very cold when you make the sauce.

2. Mince a shallot and place it in a small saucepan with the white wine and white wine vinegar. Add a pinch of salt and fresh-ground white pepper, and bring the mixture to a boil. It must reduce through evaporation until the wine and vinegar are reduced to about 1 1/2 tablespoons of thick, syrupy-looking liquid.

3. Remove your saucepan from the heat and add one or two cubes of butter to the wine mixture. Whisk it vigorously with a small wire whisk until it's completely melted and incorporated into the wine mixture. Turn the burner down to low heat.

4. Return your pan to the heat and add the cubes of butter one at a time, whisking each one vigorously until it's fully incorporated before adding another. Never let the mixture come to a boil, which will cause the butter to separate. You might need to lift the saucepan from the burner occasionally, if your stove doesn't reliably provide a low-temperature simmer.

5. Repeat until all the butter is incorporated and the mixture has a thick, pale-yellow appearance reminiscent of Hollandaise sauce. Strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the shallots, then taste it and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve immediately over fish, chicken or other mild-flavored foods.