Béarnaise is a sauce
made of clarified butter emulsified in egg yolks and flavored
with herbs. It is considered to be a 'child' of the mother Hollandaise
sauce, one of the five sauces in the French haute cuisine mother
sauce repertoire. The difference is only in their flavoring:
Béarnaise uses shallot, chervil, peppercorn, and tarragon,
while Hollandaise uses lemon juice. A classic sauce that goes
well on poached eggs or chicken.
Béarnaise
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons white wine
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped peeled shallot
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 pound butter
- Combine white wine, tarragon,
vinegar, shallot and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil
and reduce mixture until most of the liquid is evaporated. Place
in a blender along with egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and hot
pepper sauce. Process for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Meanwhile, heat butter
in a small saucepan until the temperature reaches 175°F (80°C).
Pour into running blender in a slow steady stream. Keep blending
for 20 to 30 seconds, or until smooth. Strain if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Makes 1 cup.
Cooking Tip: While the heat of the butter will
cook the egg yolks, it's not a guarantee of safety. If you're
concerned about salmonella, cook your egg yolks using the following
procedure:
For salmonella-safe
egg yolks or whole eggs you will need:
- a small, heavy saucepan
- a heatproof, 2-cup glass
measuring cup
- a large stainless steel
mixing bowl
- a wooden or plastic stirring
spoon
- a quick-read kitchen thermometer
Perform the following
steps and set aside:
Place eggs or yolks in
saucepan. Add liquid from recipe (2 tablespoons of liquid per
yolk). Stir gently just to combine.
Fill measuring cup 2/3 full with boiling-hot water.
Prepare the bowl by half-filling it with ice water.
Heat eggs or yolks over
very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches
160°F (approximately 70°C). Between each use, rinse off
thermometer in the hot water. When desired temperature is reached,
place saucepan in bowl of ice water to stop heating process.
When cool, proceed with recipe.
Recipe is
the property of Nestlé® and Meals.com, used with permission.
