Put the peppercorns in a grinder or coffee mill and grind fine. It will look like a lot, but you need it all.
Place the ground pepper in a small nonreactive pot with the shallots, tarragon, vinegar and wine.
Bring to a simmer and let the liquid reduce gently for about 5 minutes. Pour through a mesh strainer into a stainless steel bowl, and press on the solids to extract all the juice. You should have about Πcup of liquid.
Let the liquid cool briefly, then add the egg yolks.
Meanwhile, rinse out your pot, add an inch of water to it and put it back on the heat until it simmers gently.
Put the bowl with the yolk mixture on top of the pot and whisk continually for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy and mounds in soft peaks.
Once the mixture is at the desired consistency, immediately remove the bowl from the heat.
Continue whisking while drizzling in the clarified butter a few drops at a time at first, then in a thin stream. Whisk vigorously for the best consistency. After adding 4 ounces of butter, add the 2 tablespoons of fresh tarragon leaves, the lemon juice and the salt.
Taste the sauce and check its consistency. If the sauce is stiff like whipped cream, whisk in a tablespoon of tepid water. If its too tangy, whisk in a little more butter. Adjust the salt to your liking, and keep the sauce warm until serving.
*If you are using brined green peppercorns instead of dry, use this method: Add 3 tablespoons peppercorns to the wine and vinegar, and purée in a blender or with an immersion blender until the peppercorns are very well crushed. Add the shallot and herbs to this liquid, then proceed as above.
2 medium shallots, sliced thin
2 sprigs tarragon, plus 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves
¼ cup white vinegar
½ cup dry white wine
3 egg yolks
4 to 6 oz. clarified butter, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
This article appears in January 2011.