Ben's Bearnaise Sauce

10 Ratings
  • 5 Rating Star 8
  • 4 Rating Star 2
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This is the most flavorful bearnaise sauce you will find. Using fresh tarragon is key.

By C R Henning
prep:
10 mins
cook:
15 mins
total:
25 mins
Servings:
6
Max Servings:
6
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Combine the wine, vinegar, shallots, white pepper, tarragon, chervil, and parsley in a small saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Strain vinegar reduction into a large bowl; set aside.

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  • Bring several inches of water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to low or medium-low to maintain the water at a bare simmer. Whisk the egg yolks into the vinegar reduction, then place the bowl over the simmering water. Whisk constantly until the yolks have thickened and turned a pale lemon yellow color. The mixture will form ribbons when the whisk is lifted from the bowl. Once the yolk has reached this point, remove the bowl from the simmering water.

  • Slowly pour the hot butter into the egg yolk mixture while continuing to whisk vigorously. Do not stop whisking until all of the butter is fully incorporated or the sauce will separate. Once finished, the mixture will have become a thick and creamy sauce. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
334.23 calories; 2.74 g protein; 3.1 g carbohydrates; 33.78 g fat; 217.9 mg cholesterol; 230.03 mg sodium.Full Nutrition

Reviews (8)

Read All Reviews

Most helpful positive review

Amber Voelk
09/18/2011
I love it this way. A long time ago I put a version like this into my super blender it heats as you go...delicious. I love your way too. Good stuff.
Helpful
(4)

Most helpful critical review

Jeff A.
02/20/2013
It was very tasty but seems like all egg yolk-based sauces requires strict attention to the heating point of the yolk and whisking to avoid the separating. Even with the separation is difficult to avoid. I wonder if adding the vinegar reduction after whisking the egg yolk and butter together rather than before would help prevent separation. It works better that way with my hollandaise sauce.
Helpful
(2)
10 Ratings
  • 5 Rating Star 8
  • 4 Rating Star 2
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
Amber Voelk
09/18/2011
I love it this way. A long time ago I put a version like this into my super blender it heats as you go...delicious. I love your way too. Good stuff.
Helpful
(4)
Bill
06/25/2012
This was really good. I made it to go on some tenderloin steaks and everyone absolutely loved the sauce. I used the left over to jerry rig up some Eggs Benedict the next morning and really enjoyed it again.
Helpful
(4)
caquilter
12/10/2011
Wow! So good and I don't have to use my blender. Had to use onion - no shallot - but all else the same. Love it!
Helpful
(3)
Jeff A.
02/20/2013
It was very tasty but seems like all egg yolk-based sauces requires strict attention to the heating point of the yolk and whisking to avoid the separating. Even with the separation is difficult to avoid. I wonder if adding the vinegar reduction after whisking the egg yolk and butter together rather than before would help prevent separation. It works better that way with my hollandaise sauce.
Helpful
(2)
Hadzi
06/22/2013
Really good with an entrecot steak. I didnt have fresh tarragon but I added it dry. I don t usually rate but this recipe deserves it.
Helpful
(1)
chrislloyd@me.com
11/10/2016
Make sure you don't reheat the sauce once you make it. It's okay to make it early and just serve at room temperature. Really delicious but with I wouldn't have tried to reheat it as it broke down... Also the recipe says to drain the tarragon and shallots and from the sauce pan however once you do this you want to reincorporate some back into the sauce to give it more texture and flavor.
ericka4444
03/04/2013
This is my first rating and I must say I've made quite a few of the recipes without taking the time to rate. This recipe deserves it! I made filet mignon oscar style. The sauce was the perfect companion for the combination of lump crab and asparagus with filet. Creamy and flavorful without over-powering the rest of the ingredients. Loved it!
nightfall
10/08/2016
I didn't think I'd like this recipe and cooking method but the results are outstanding. I agree fresh tarragon is the key to a great sauce but good vinegar is also very important. The other herbs are good for background notes but I've made this without chervil because I didn't have any and I didn't really miss it. Thank you for posting!