The most elegant sauce for fish: an emulsion of nothing more than shallot, white wine and cold butter. No egg, no cream, no flour, pure technique. Make it well once and you will always make it well.
Beurre blanc
Beurre blanc
Beurre blanc
Beurre blanc
Method
01
Reduce
Bring the shallot to the boil with the wine and vinegar and reduce until almost dry: just a moist layer of shallot should remain.
02
Stabilise
If you like, add the cream and boil briefly. This isn't classic, but it is a sensible trick: the cream makes the emulsion considerably more forgiving.
03
Mount with butter
Put the pan over the very lowest heat and whisk in the ice-cold butter cube by cube. Always wait until one cube has been absorbed before adding the next. The sauce should become creamy and bound, not oily.
04
Season
Season with salt and white pepper. If you like, strain for a smooth sauce, or leave the shallot in.
Tips & notes
The sauce must never boil; above 60 °C the emulsion breaks and you see fat seeping out. Got too hot? Take it off the heat, whisk in a cube of ice-cold butter and it usually comes back. You can keep it warm for up to half an hour in a lukewarm bowl over warm (not boiling) water. Beurre blanc cannot be stored or reheated: make it just before serving.
Chef's tip
In technique, beurre blanc is the mirror image of hollandaise: no egg yolk as the emulsifier but the milk proteins in the butter itself and the concentrated shallot reduction. That makes it lighter, but also more fragile; it does not tolerate long waiting or reheating.
Variations
- Beurre nantais – With a splash of cream added for extra stability, the usual restaurant version.
- Beurre rouge – With red wine instead of white.
- Beurre blanc au safran – With a pinch of saffron in the reduction.
Contains:
Milk
Sulphites
Serve with
- Turbot
- Salmon
- Scallops
- Green asparagus
- Poached fish
| Calories | 395 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4 g |
| Fat | 41 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
