Béarnaise Sauce

By FoodfaithfitnessAug 12, 2024Jump to Recipe

Elevate any dish with a decadent drizzle of Béarnaise Sauce—an extravagant yet easy-to-make recipe!

Practically everyone has enjoyed a hollandaise sauce atop a pair of eggs Benedict or asparagus spears, but did you know that there’s a sister sauce which brings a totally different flavor palate? Often referred to as the “child” of hollandaise, béarnaise is another example of dreamy and creamy sauce that imbues every bite with luxurious flavor.

Béarnaise sauce hails from the southwestern French region of Béarn. The distinct flavors of shallots and tarragon give the sauce a uniquely sharp taste, perfect for drizzling on fresh green vegetables and decorating the most savory meats!

Creamy, sharp, and wonderfully savory, béarnaise sauce dresses up even the simplest meals. And as opulent as it may taste, you can easily make this sauce in your home kitchen.

Is Béarnaise Sauce Healthy?

Let’s be frank with ourselves. Hollandaise and béarnaise are composed almost entirely of butter, wine, and egg yolks. From a surface level, there’s no way a sauce so decadent could be healthy for you! However, when you give each ingredient some scrutiny, you might be surprised just how much good there is in something that tastes so lavish! Egg yolks are rich in a variety of vitamins, from A, D, E, K, and a whole lotta B vitamins!

Got Expensive taste?

Béarnaise is commonly associated with luxury restaurants and fine French dining, but this recipe is easy and inexpensive! Such an extravagant flavor isn’t all you can do with béarnaise, though! There are lots of derivatives of béarnaise that you can make at home, too.

Consider adding tomato to your sauce for a delicious béarnaise tomatée. If you prefer something savory, make a Valois (that’s béarnaise with added meat glaze, sometimes called glace de viande)! Or, if you want an even more refreshing flavor, turn it into a minty Paloise. Simply substitute tarragon for fresh mint!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon, divided
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Reduce

Simmer ingredients to make a reduction.

Strain

Strain reduction and cool.

Emulsify

Whisk yolks and butter over heat to thicken.

Finish

Add tarragon, season, and serve.

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Because béarnaise is a butter sauce, it has to remain emulsified. You need to keep it from cooling and stirring regularly. Béarnaise is typically whipped up for immediate use because storing it causes the sauce to separate, and re-emulsifying the sauce is not as easy as making it from scratch when you need it! So, just make this sauce fresh and enjoy it right away.

Help! My bearnaise split! what can I do to re-emulsify it!?

If you let your béarnaise cool and try to bring it up to temp, the oils will likely separate from the water content in the sauce, causing it to break. To return to perfectly emulsified goodness, you might be able to use an immersion blender to re-whip your ingredients together (though too much blending and you might just end up with mayonnaise, which is a totally different experience!)

If I can’t store it for later, can I at least make it ahead of the main dish?

You should be good if you keep it warm on your stovetop. Please just remember to stir the sauce from time to time.

Serving Suggestions

Béarnaise is perfect for topping dishes with! Just try it on top of any of FoodFaithFitness’s finer feasts, like a delicious cauliflower steak with a side of air fried asparagus! Both go perfectly with a drizzle of béarnaise! If you’re looking to top something a little more meaty, glaze some juicy poached chicken with your fresh béarnaise or, if you’re feeling adventurous and low-carb, try béarnaise as a topping for our fish taco bowls!

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