Classic Bearnaise Sauce Recipe
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
10 minutes
Servings:
1 Cup
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup butter
  • ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • pinch of white pepper
Directions
  1. Add the butter to a saucepan and heat on a medium setting until melted. Use a spoon to skim off any white solids that have formed on the top and set aside to cool.
  2. Add the vinegar, 1 tablespoon of the tarragon, the lemon juice, and chopped shallot to the saucepan and heat on a medium-high setting, stirring frequently until the liquid is reduced by about half.
  3. Strain the mixture through a sieve, reserving the infused vinegar and discarding the solids.
  4. Prepare a bain-marie by placing a heatproof glass bowl on top of a saucepan filled with about an inch of water. The bowl should not be touching the water but just sitting above it. Heat until the water is simmering.
  5. Add the infused vinegar and egg yolks to the glass bowl and whisk constantly as it heats. Keep whisking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly drizzle in the melted butter while whisking constantly, until it has all been incorporated and the sauce is thick and creamy.
  7. Add the remaining tarragon, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine.