Bearnaise Sauce

There are some dishes that just demand a good bearnaise sauce!  My Haddock Oscar is one of them, but there are many others and you’ll often find it called for in steak fillet recipes since it’s a high-end Steak  House staple.  Some will swear by a packaged or other cheat versions, but really, fresh is best and it’s a great sauce to learn how to make.  It’s a secondary variation of one of what are termed the French Mother Sauces – Hollandaise.  The same sauce-making method but a flavor change. Speaking of flavor…..my bearnaise sauce recipe does not call for straining the wine/shallot tarragon reduction as some do because I think the bit of texture, to say nothing of the added flavor, is a bonus to this classic sauce.

Bearnaise Sauce Recipe

* 4 eggs, whites and yolks seperated * 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter * 1/2 cup dry white wine * 2 tbsp tarragon vinegar * 1 tbsp minced shallot * 1 tsp. dried tarragon * 1/4 + tsp kosher salt * Dash cayenne pepper * Freshly ground black pepper to tatste

 Directions:

• In a small saucepan, combine the wine, vinegar, shallots and dried tarragon. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, until the mixture is reduced to about 5 tablespoons and the shallot is tender. Do not strain, set aside to add to the egg yolks.
• Add two inches of water to the bottom of a double boiler, or until the water reaches just below the bottom of the top pan, and bring the water to a simmer. You can also use a glass bowl set over a pan of simmering water, allowing enough room so that the bottom of the bowl isn’t immersed in the water – this is just so that you can have more control over the heat and the temperature of the sauce doesn’t heat too quickly or get away from you. If you are just starting out to learn how to make an egg yolk/butter sauce, keep a larger distance between the water and the bowl/pan you are making the sauce in – it will take a bit longer to cook the sauce, but there is no race to the finish!
• When you have the simmering water ready, put your egg yolks (save egg whites for another use) into the top pan or bowl and begin to whisk vigourously, off the heat. They will get frothy, at which point add a tablespoon of the tarragon reduction, add it to the beaten egg yolks and beat quickly. You’re still off the heat, just tempering the eggs to avoid the greatest pitfall of the process ….. too much heat too soon = curdling.
• Put it over the water for awhile, whisking continuallyto warm things up and begin to gently cook. After a minute or so of this take it from over the simmering water and add another tablespoon of the tarragon reduction. Back onto the pan it goes and whisk for another minute or two.
• Back off the pan!
• Repeat this procedure until the tarragon reduction is fully incorporated into the egg yolks, cooking very slowly. If steam starts to pop up out of the sides of the pan, get it your sauce off, whisking quickly.
• Once the tarragon reduction has all been added, begin to incorporate the melted butter into the sauce. A note here: even without the butter, you already have a great sauce. If you are watching fat/calorie intake, correct what you have for salt and pepper, add a dash of cayenne and over the simmering water whisk until a bit thicker.
• Add the melted butter, approximately a quarter at a time, continuing to whisk, only putting the bowl on the pan for short periods of time (like 15 seconds at a time ). Once a portion of the butter is added and absorbed by the egg yolks, add more. In just a couple of minutes, all the butter is in, it’s whisked and smooth, and just do the on again off again for brief 15 second intervals until it is as thick as you’d like. Once it is thickened, add a dash of cayenne, some freshly ground black pepper and a small pinch at a time of kosher salt.  The salt really brings out the flavors, but can overpower very quickly!

When I make a bearnaise sauce for seafood dishes,  I like to add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice after I’ve incorporated the tarragon reduction, but that is an optional addition.

The whole process is quick – no more than five minutes total after the tarragon reduction is done.  I’ve been interrupted in the making many times, at which point I just get it off the simmering water and whisk it enough to cool things down. Even after a few minutes sitting on a trivet unfinished it has bounced back to life and resulted in a perfect sauce!