Replies

Classic Béarnaise Sauce Recipe

This classic French sauce is made from a reduction of butter, vinegar, and wine mixed with tarragon and thickened with egg yolks. It is served with meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
• 4 white peppercorns, crushed
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of cayenne
Preparation:
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat just to melt. Boil shallots, tarragon, and peppercorns in vinegar and wine in a nonreactive medium-size saucepan over medium heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Strain into the top of a double boiler. Whisk in the egg yolks. Place the top over the bottom of the double boiler containing simmering water. Make sure that the top of the water is below the bottom of the upper part of the double boiler. Whisk constantly. The second that the yolk mixture begins to thicken slightly, remove the top of the double boiler from above the hot water and continue whisking. Turn off the heat. Add four ice cubes to the bottom of the double boiler to cool the hot water a little. Put the pan of yolks back above the hot water. Whisk in the melted butter, drizzling it in very slowly. If at any time the sauce looks as if it is about to break, remove the top and continue whisking to cool it down or whisk in 1 teaspoon cold water. With constant whisking, whisk in the salt and cayenne. When all the butter is incorporated, taste and add more salt or cayenne as needed.
______________________________________________________
The one I use:
ingredients:
1C white wine
1C white wine vinegar
1 diced shallot
1tsp diced fresh tarragon
2C unsalted butter
4 egg yolks
cayenne
salt
pepper

In a sauce pan pour white wine and white wine vinegar. Add the diced shallot and fresh tarragon. Bring to just below boiling and cook down till there is no liquid left. Add the egg yolks and whisk vigorously till mixed. Once the egg yolks start to firm, to the point where they are beginning to become a touch gooey, begin adding the butter. The key here is to balance the heat from the stove with the addition of the butter.

I like to use room temperature butter cut into slices so I can control the rate of addition, and so that the butter isn’t so cold as to shock the sauce into breaking. A good indicator of the proper viscosity is when, while whisking, one can easily see the bottom of the pan between strokes. When the desired consistency is reached it should be seasoned (salt, pepper, cayenne) according to taste.
The salt content should be just enough to bring out the sweet quality in the butter. The cayenne should be relatively minimal just enough to add a hint of spice to the sauce. Not enough that it becomes overly noticeable, or spicy for that matter.

While making this sauce it is vital that unsalted butter be used so that the flavor can be more precisely controlled. From the addition of the eggs till all the butter is mixed in completely one should never stop stirring. Pay very close attention while adding the butter. Too much to fast may break the sauce, and adding the butter to slowly while your pan is over the heat will over cook and curdle your egg. Pay very close attention while cooking. Heat management and whisk speed are your best allies in making this sauce.

If while cooking the sauce and one observes a distinct separation of egg matter and butter (a clear liquid separating form the thicker yellow) this means that your sauce is “breaking” immediately remove your pan from the heat source, and begin whisking as fast as you can. If necessary, splash with a little bit of cold water. By splash I mean run your hand slightly cupped through a stream from your faucet and toss that into the pan.