Hollandaise Sauce (Great for Poached Eggs)

Makes 1 cup

4 egg yolks, room temp
juice of 1 Lemon
1 Tbl boiling water
8 Tbl (1/2 cup) butter, cut in small pieces
salt
1/8 tsp red cayenne pepper
1/4 c warm heavy cream

Mix egg yolks, 2 Tbl lemon juice and 1 Tbl water in heavy nonmetal bowl and set in a frying pan that has 1 inch of boiling water in the bottom --this is called a bain marie).  Whisk the yolk mixture steadily.  Do not let the bowl touch the water or it will curdle.  The water may be boiling as long as the mixture in the bowl is 160 to 180 degrees.  Do not let the water evaporate.  Whisk for 5 minutes or until thick,  slowly adding the butter, piece by piece, whisking after each addition.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  If the sauce doesn't thicken, turn up the heat, but be sure the temperature of the sauce remains BELOW 180.  the hollandaise may be made up to one hour ahead of time and kept in the bain marie.
If eggs in the hollandaise go over 180 degrees you get scrambled eggs.

Hollandaise sauce will hold for no more than 1 1/2 hours.