Artichokes with Béarnaise Sauce (from William-Sonoma Sauces, coming in '04)
Serves 4 (Sauce yield: 1 1/4 cups)

For the artichokes:
4 large artichokes, 14 to 16 ounces each (choose artichokes with leaves tightly closed at the top, not splayed)
Kosher salt
1 lemon, cut into eight wedges

For the sauce:
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 small sprigs tarragon
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3 large egg yolks
Fine sea salt and white pepper, preferably freshly ground
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the artichokes:
Rinse the artichokes under cool running water, running it into all the nooks and crannies of the leaves. Snap, or cut off the stem even with the base, and cut off the top 1/3 of each artichoke with a sharp, heavy knife. Using kitchen shears, cut off the pointed ends of the remaining leaves. Bring a large saucepan or stock pot full of water to a rapid boil and add 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and the lemon wedges. Add the artichokes stem sides down and partially cover the pan. Regulate the heat so the water simmers briskly, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, until a small sharp knife easily penetrates the base. Make the béarnaise sauce while the artichokes are cooking.                                                                  

For the sauce:
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, stirring occasionally, and set aside (make the sauce while the butter is still tepid, but not warm or hot).
Pull the leaves from the tarragon and chop them finely, reserving the stems. In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the shallot, tarragon stems, and vinegar. Place over medium-low heat, and simmer until the vinegar is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let stand for 5 minutes, then remove the tarragon stems. Whisk in the egg yolks, and return the pan to low heat. Whisk the yolks constantly until they begin to thicken just enough so that you can barely see the bottom of the pan as you whisk (the consistency should be like a thin mousse). At this point, act very quickly: remove the pan from the heat as soon as the yolk mixture thickens—you don’t want them to scramble! Now begin whisking in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, whisking each addition in thoroughly before adding the next. Keep the mixture lukewarm by occasionally moving the pan on and off the burner (the inside base of the pan should never get too hot to touch). After the first few tablespoons of butter have been successfully incorporated, you may begin adding butter a little bit faster. When all the butter has been emulsified and the sauce is smooth, thick, and glossy, remove from the heat and whisk in the 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, the Worcestershire, and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as desired. Serve within 5 minutes, or cover and keep warm for up to 30 minutes over hot but not simmering water.

To serve:
Cool the artichokes upside down for about 15 minutes, then gently pull back the outer leaves and pull out the spiky, glossy center leaves only. Scrape out the fuzzy chokes underneath with a small spoon (do this under an good overhead light so you can see inside the cavities). Place a small, clean votive holder in the central cavity and fill to within 1/8-inch of the rim with the warm sauce. Serve at once, or hold for up to 10 minutes before serving