Making Beurre Blanc
This sauce belongs on fish or steamed vegetables when you want richness without the weight of a heavy cream sauce. It is a temperamental classic that rewards a steady hand and constant attention at the stove.
Mastering the emulsion
If the sauce gets too hot, the butter will break and leave you with a pool of yellow fat. Keep a splash of heavy cream or an ice cube nearby to cool it down instantly if it looks like it is separating.
- Small stainless steel saucepan
- Balloon whisk
- Fine mesh strainer
What goes in.
- 1/4 cupdry white wine
- 2 tbspwhite wine vinegar
- 1shallot, minced
- 1/2 lbunsalted butter, chilled and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 tspfine sea salt
Mounting the butter
Add the butter one cube at a time, whisking constantly. Do not add the next cube until the previous one has fully incorporated into the liquid base.
The method.
Reduce the base
Combine the wine, vinegar, and minced shallot in the saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the liquid is reduced to about one tablespoon of syrupy, concentrated essence.
Cool slightly
Lower the heat to the absolute minimum setting. Remove the pan from the heat for 30 seconds to bring the temperature down before adding the butter.
Emulsify
Whisk in one cube of cold butter. Once melted, add the next, whisking continuously. Rotate the pan on and off the heat to keep the temperature constant; the sauce should look like opaque, liquid velvet.
Finish and strain
Once all butter is incorporated, stir in the salt. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a warm bowl to remove the shallot pieces, leaving a smooth, bright sauce.
Other turns to take.
Beurre Rouge
Substitute a full-bodied red wine for the white and red wine vinegar for the white wine vinegar. Use with seared steak.
Herbed Beurre Blanc
Stir in a tablespoon of finely minced fresh chives or tarragon immediately after straining.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use high-quality butter, as it is the primary ingredient; European-style butter with higher fat content provides a more stable emulsion.
If the shallots are too large, they will soak up too much sauce; mince them until they are nearly a paste.
Serve immediately. Beurre blanc cannot be reheated, as the emulsion will collapse instantly.
The ones that keep coming up.
My sauce turned into clear oil. Can I fix it?
Yes. Place a tablespoon of fresh cold water or heavy cream in a clean pan and slowly whisk the broken sauce into it, one spoonful at a time.
Can I make this ahead of time?
It is best served the moment it is finished. If you must hold it, keep it in a thermos or a bowl set over warm—not hot—water for no more than 30 minutes.
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