Silky emulsified butter sauce with tarragon, shallots, and vinegar; warm, velvety, and tangy.
Add butter slowly at first (a few drops at a time) until emulsion forms; then increase to a thin stream. If sauce breaks (becomes grainy or separates), start with a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl and slowly whisk in the broken sauce.
Tarragon is essential to béarnaise flavor; do not substitute with other herbs. Keep water at a gentle simmer—too hot will scramble the yolks; too cool will not emulsify properly.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
- 2 shallots
- cracked black pepper (a pinch)
- fine-mesh strainer
- 3 egg yolks
- 6 ounces unsalted butter
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
- 2 shallots
- cracked black pepper (a pinch)
- fine-mesh strainer
- 3 egg yolks
- 6 ounces unsalted butter
Instructions
Reduce vinegar and shallots
Combine white wine vinegar (1 tablespoon), tarragon vinegar (1 tablespoon), shallots, minced, and cracked black pepper in small saucepan.
Bring to a simmer and reduce until liquid is syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons.
Equipment: small saucepan
Strain reduction and prepare egg yolks
Pour reduction through fine-mesh strainer into heatproof bowl, pressing gently to extract liquid; discard solids.
Add egg yolks to strained reduction and whisk to combine.
Equipment: fine-mesh strainer, heatproof bowl, whisk
Emulsify over gentle heat
Set heatproof bowl over pot of simmering water (bowl should not touch water) and whisk egg yolk mixture constantly until pale and thick, about 2 minutes.
Add unsalted butter (6 ounces), melted and cooled slightly one small piece at a time, whisking constantly; start with a few drops until emulsion forms, then add butter in a thin steady stream.
Continue whisking until all butter is incorporated and sauce is thick and creamy.
Equipment: heatproof bowl, whisk
Finish with fresh tarragon and seasoning
Remove from heat and stir in fresh tarragon, salt, and cayenne pepper to taste.
Serve béarnaise sauce warm immediately.
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Keep water at a gentle simmer—too hot will scramble the yolks; too cool will not emulsify properly.
- • Add butter slowly at first (a few drops at a time) until emulsion forms; then increase to a thin stream.
- • If sauce breaks (becomes grainy or separates), start with a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl and slowly whisk in the broken sauce.
- • Serve warm immediately; béarnaise does not hold well for extended periods.
- • Tarragon is essential to béarnaise flavor; do not substitute with other herbs.
- • Use clarified butter or melt butter and skim foam for the smoothest result, though whole melted butter works.
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