Béarnaise Sauce

Name: Béarnaise Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: Makes about 1 cup
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: Fresh lemon juice if necessary; 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces; 3 tablespoons white wine or other vinegar; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 egg yolks; 3 tablespoons white wine or other vinegar; 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves or ½ teaspoon dried; 1 tablespoon minced shallots; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves or ½ teaspoon dried

Preparation info

Makes about
1 cup

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
20 min

Appears in

The Best Recipes in the World

By Mark Bittman

Published 2005

About

Yes, béarnaise is overkill, but this old-fashioned sauce has such good flavor it deserves to be made every now and then. It’s best with grilled beef or fish. If you can find it, use chervil—a couple of tablespoons—in place of the tarragon.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves or ½

Europe
France
Sauce
Mediterranean
Gluten-free
Vegetarian

Method

In a small saucepan, heat together the shallot, most of the tarragon, the salt, pepper, and vinegar, until most of the vinegar has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Cool.
Beat the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon water and stir into the vinegar mixture. Return to the stove over low heat and beat continuously with a wire whisk until thick. With the heat as low as possible