A Bear of a Béarnaise

There's something exciting about creating a sauce that is so thick and flavorful, yet amazingly delicate. The thrill of making a Béarnaise sauce is not only the anticipation of the end result, but knowing that at any moment the sauce could fail with the separation of the emulsion. Add the butter too quickly or heat the egg yolk over too high a heat and the whole sauce is ruined in a congealed mess of clarified butter and egg curds.

All it takes is a little patience and a steady hand and within minutes you have a tangy but sweet and creamy sauce for your steak that will amaze and delight your family and friends.

As Julia Child said, "All you need is the courage of your convictions." This sauce is simple, but you have to be brave when making it!

Sauce Béarnaise
For 1 1/2 cups

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1 Tablespoon minced shallots
1 Tablespoon minced fresh tarragon, or 1/2 Tablespoon dried tarragon
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of salt
3 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons very cold butter
1/2 to 2/3 cup melted butter
2 Tablespoons fresh minced tarragon

In a small saucepan, boil the vinegar, wine (or vermouth), shallots, herbs and seasonings over moderate heat until the liquid has reduced to 2 tablespoons. Let it cool.

Strain the liquid into a small bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the small saucepan and add about an inch of water and boil over moderate heat. Turn heat to low to maintain a simmer. Add the egg yolks to a pyrex bowl and beat the eggs with a wire whisk until thick and slightly sticky (about a minute). Add 1 tablespoon of the very cold butter to the egg yolks and put the bowl over the simmering water. Stir, but don't beat, the butter into the yolks for about 2 minutes or until it's thicker and creamy. Beat in the other tablespoon of cold butter, then the melted butter in droplets. Do this very slowly or the sauce will separate.

The sauce is done when you have a silky, smooth sauce that is somewhat thick. Simply correct the seasoning and beat in the minced tarragon.

Spoon over your steak or put in a small serving dish.


Enjoy!