Bearnaise Sauce
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • Salt and pepper
Method:
  1. Make the bearnaise reduction first. In a small saucepan, combine the tarragon, shallots, vinegar and wine over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  2. Blend yolks and bearnaise reduction together. With the blender running, add 1/3 of the butter in a slow steady stream. Once it emulsifies, turn the blender speed up to high and add the remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper and set aside in a warm spot to hold the sauce.


Martha Stewart's Bearnaise Sauce
Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup very finely chopped shallot
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, more if desired
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaf
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2-3/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft (I've always used 1 1/2 sticks)
  • coarse salt
  • pepper, if desired
  • lemon juice, if desired
Method:
  1. Combine vinegar, wine, shallots, black pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon in a small saucepan.
  2. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 tablespoon, 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Add egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of water to reduced vinegar mixture.
  4. Whisk until thick and pale, about 2 minutes.
  5. Set pan over moderately low heat and continue to whisk at reasonable speed reaching all over bottom and insides of pan, where eggs tend to overcook.
  6. To moderate heat, frequently move pan off burner for a few seconds, then back on.
  7. As they cook, the eggs will become frothy and increase in volume, then thicken.
  8. When the bottom of the pan is visible in the streaks left by the whisk and the eggs are thick and smooth, remove from heat.
  9. By spoonfuls, add soft butter, whisking constantly to incorporate each addition.
  10. As the emulsion forms, add butter in slightly larger amounts, always whisking until fully absorbed.
  11. Continue incorporating butter until sauce has thickened to consistency desired.
  12. Season with salt, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped tarragon and, if desired, pepper.
  13. Add a few droplets of lemon juice if necessary.



Bearnaise Sauce

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup vinegar, wine vinegar is best
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1 tb tarragon, fresh and minced
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 2 tb parsley, fresh (or tarragon)
  • Salt and pepper
 Method:
  1. Boil the vinegar, white wine, shallots and herbs, add salt and pepper, over moderate heat until there are 3 tablespoons of sauce remaining, for 10 to 15 minutes.
  2. Beat the egg yolks. Mix with wine and vinegar mixture, beat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes max. Do not let the sauce boil.
  3. Melt 1/2 cup of butter. Then add the melted butter to the mixture and beat. Add parsley or tarragon and beat while cooking over low heat for 5 minutes max in step 3.