Bearnaise
Ingredients
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- 3/4 cup unsalted butter – cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons shallot – finely minced
- 4 sprigs tarragon stems – lightly bruised
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns – lightly crushed
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3 large egg yolks – at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons tarragon leaves – finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chervil leaves – finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
1. Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over low heat until fully melted and warm (120–140°F). Keep warm off heat.
2. Combine the shallot, tarragon stems, black peppercorns, white wine vinegar, and dry white wine in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce over medium heat until the liquid measures about 2 tablespoons and looks syrupy, 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
3. Prepare the tarragon leaves and chervil leaves by finely chopping them; reserve to finish.
4. Set up a bain-marie: bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan and place a heatproof bowl over it so the bowl does not touch the water. Strain the reduction into the bowl, pressing on the solids; add the egg yolks and the water. Whisk constantly over the gentle simmer until thick, pale, and tripled in volume, 3–5 minutes, forming ribbons and reaching 150–155°F.
5. Remove the bowl from the heat and very slowly whisk in a thin stream of it until fully emulsified, starting with drops and increasing to a steady thread, 3–4 minutes. Whisk in the fine sea salt.
6. Fold in the reserved herbs. Serve immediately, or hold warm for up to 30 minutes in a barely warm spot (120–130°F), stirring occasionally.
Bearnaise is a silky, warm emulsion sauce scented with tarragon and chervil, built on a bright shallot-and-wine-vinegar reduction. It is rich from egg yolks and butter, yet balanced by herbal freshness and gentle peppery warmth. The sauce is best known alongside steak, but it flatters grilled or roasted meats, poached fish, asparagus, artichokes, and even eggs.
A derivative of Hollandaise in the French sauce family, Bearnaise is considered one of the canonical “daughter” sauces. It is said to have been popularized in 19th-century France and named for the Béarn region, with many accounts crediting a Paris-area restaurant for its debut. Over time, it became a brasserie and steakhouse staple, symbolizing classic French technique and the art of stable egg-butter emulsions.