A creamy, slightly tangy butter and egg sauce flavoured with a reduced vinegar and shallot mixture and fresh tarragon. The classic accompaniment to a well-cooked steak, and a direct derivative of hollandaise.
Sauce béarnaise
Region: Béarn
Sauce béarnaise
Region: Béarn
Method
01
Make the reduction
Put the vinegar, white wine, shallot, peppercorns and the tarragon stalks in a small saucepan. Reduce until approx. 2 tablespoons of liquid remain. Strain and leave to cool.
02
Whisk the egg yolks
Whisk the egg yolks with the cold water and the cooled reduction in a heatproof bowl.
03
Whisk over a bain-marie
Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (the bowl must not touch the water). Whisk vigorously and continuously until the mixture is thick, airy and ribbon-like; this takes 3–5 minutes.
04
Mount the butter
Take off the bain-marie. Pour in the lukewarm clarified butter in a thin stream, whisking, until a thick, glossy sauce forms.
05
Finish
Stir in the finely chopped tarragon and the lemon juice. Season with salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
06
Serve
Serve immediately, lukewarm; béarnaise can't be reheated without splitting.
Tips & notes
Never whisk the egg yolks over direct heat and never over water that is too hot; above 70 °C the yolks set and you end up with scrambled egg instead of a smooth sauce. Sauce split anyway? Whisk a spoonful of cold water or a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl and add the split sauce to it little by little, whisking. Béarnaise does not keep: make it just before serving, because the sauce splits when reheated.
Variations
- Replace the tarragon with chervil for a milder, slightly fresher sauce (sauce foyot with a little extra glace de viande is a well-known variant).
- Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard for extra bite and stability.
Contains:
Eggs
Milk
Sulphites
Serve with
| Calories | 557 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4 g |
| Fat | 59 g |
| Fibre | 1 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
