Bearnaise Sauce

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry wine
• 1 tablespoon shallot (minced)
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon (dried)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted in saucepan
• 2 tablespoons tarragon, fresh (minced)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Recipe

• 1 in a small saucepan combine vinegar, wine, shallots, and dried tarragon and simmer over moderate heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons of liquid.
• 2 cool and strain through a fine sieve.
• 3 in the top of double boiler or a heat-proof bowl whisk the egg yolks until they become thick and sticky.
• 4 whisk in the reduced vinegar mixture and pepper.
• 5 place the pan or bowl over a saucepan of simmering, not boiling, water whisk until mixture is warm, about 2 minutes (if mixture appears to become lumpy,dip pan immediately in a bowl of ice water to cool whisk until smooth and then continue recipe.).
• 6 the yolk mixture has thickened enough when you can see the bottom of the pan between strokes and mixture forms a light cream on the wires of the whip.
• 7 while whisking the yolk mixture gradually pour in the melted butter, a tablespoon or so at a time whisking thoroughly to incorporate before adding more butter.
• 8 as the mixture begins to thicken and become creamy, the butter can be added more rapidly,do not add the milk solids at the bottom of the melted butter.
• 9 season the sauce to taste with chopped tarragon, salt and pepper.
• 10 to keep the sauce warm, set the pan or bowl in lukewarm water or in a thermos.
• 11 yield: 1 to 1 1/2 cups sauce.