Béarnaise Sauce
Updated Feb. 3, 2025
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¼cup white-wine vinegar
- 1small shallot, peeled and minced
- ½teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon leaves
- 2egg yolks
- 12tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Splash of lemon juice, optional
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
341 calories; 36 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 2 grams protein; 178 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Put the vinegar, shallots, black pepper and 1 tablespoon of tarragon leaves into a small saucepan, and set over a medium flame. Bring just to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer until there are only a few tablespoons of liquid left, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
- Step 2
Fill a small saucepan with an inch or two of water, and set over medium-high heat to boil.
- Step 3
Put the cooled shallot-and-tarragon mixture into a metal mixing bowl along with a tablespoon of water and the egg yolks, then whisk to combine.
- Step 4
Turn the heat under the saucepan of water down to its lowest setting, and put the bowl on top of the pan, making sure that it does not touch the water directly. Continue to whisk the yolks until they thicken, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. You should just about double the volume of the yolks.
- Step 5
Slowly beat in the butter, a tablespoon or two at a time, whisking slowly to combine and emulsify. Remove the bowl from the pan occasionally, so as not to overcook the eggs, and taste the sauce. Season with salt. If the flavor is not sharp enough, add a splash of lemon juice. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of hot water. Add the remaining teaspoon of tarragon leaves, and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
Made it once and then again the next day made a double batch. Great in all the ways mentioned below, also over salmon or swordfish. Froze the extra from the double batch in a plastic ice cube tray; they defrosted on my countertop as I made dinner and whisked back into shape perfectly with a little lemon juice or water if a thinner sauce is desired.
great, fast way to finish this any meat or fish dish. I found that dry tarragon freshly ground into almost a powder, was as pungent as fresh, which makes it so much easier to impulsively add this finishing sauce to dinner.
This sauce came together amazingly in a blender, no double boiler required! Follow instructions but instead of a metal bowl, put yolks and reduction in a blender. Turn the blender on and slowly pour the butter in a very thin stream, piping hot from the microwave or a saucepan. The sauce should come together by the time all of the butter is incorporated.
Is the tarragon fresh or dried?
I made this for the third time and it was the charm. The trick for me today was taking the double boiler off the heat when adding the butter. This prevents it from becoming a big melted mess and keeps the thickness. Delicious!
Melt butter in pan; cook minced shallot until transparent; add flour and cook with constant mixing for 2-4 minutes. Add acid (1/4 cup lemon juice). Add milk until desired consistency is achieved. Salt to taste. Pepper to taste. temper egg yolks with hot sauce, then reincorporate into sauce. Cook for a few minutes. Can dilute with more milk or lemon juice as desired.