Bearnaise Sauce | Cookstr.com

Updated March 16, 2018

This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

For: steaks, boiled or fried fish, broiled chicken, egg dishes, timbales. Bearnaise sauce differs from hollandaise only in taste and strength; instead of lemon juice, its basic flavoring is a reduction of wine, vinegar, shallots, pepper, and tarragon. The techniques for making the two sauces are similar.

Total Timeunder 30 minutes

Dietary Considerationgluten-free, kosher, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free, vegetarian

Taste and Texturebuttery, creamy, herby, savory

Ingredients

¼ cup wine vinegar
¼ cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1 Tb minced shallots or green onions
1 Tb minced fresh tarragon or ½ Tb dried tarragon
1/8 tsp pepper
Pinch of salt
3 egg yolks
2 Tb cold butter
½ to 2/3 cup melted butter
2 Tb fresh minced tarragon or parsley
A small saucepan

Instructions

Boil the vinegar, wine, shallots or onions, herbs, and seasonings over moderate heat until the liquid has reduced to 2 tablespoons. Let it cool.
Then proceed as though making a hollandaise. Beat the egg yolks until thick. Strain in the vinegar mixture and beat. Add 1 tablespoon of cold butter and thicken the egg yolks over low heat. Beat in the other tablespoon of cold butter, then the melted butter by droplets. Correct seasoning, and beat in the tarragon or parsley.

1961, 1983, 2001 Alfred A. Knopf