Béarnaise Sauce

Béarnaise Sauce, Step by Step

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1. Put the vinegar, wine, shallots, peppercorns and tarragon stalks into a small pan. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, then strain into a heatproof bowl and discard the solids.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

2. Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat and keep it warm.

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3. Add the egg yolks and the water to the bowl with the reduction and set it over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick and leaves a trail.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

4. Take the bowl off the heat. Whisk in the warm butter a few drops at a time, then in a thin stream, until the sauce is thick and glossy.

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5. Stir in the chopped tarragon and chervil, the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Serve at once, or keep warm over the pan of hot water off the heat.

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Small Things That Help

• Keep the water under the bowl at a bare simmer and take the bowl away if it steams too hard. Yolks that get too hot turn to scrambled egg.
• Add the first of the butter drop by drop. Once the sauce has begun to thicken, the rest can go in more quickly.
• If the sauce splits, whisk a teaspoon of cold water into a clean bowl, then whisk in the split sauce a little at a time.

Ingredient Swaps

• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

What Goes With Béarnaise Sauce

• Seared steak
• Chips
• Asparagus

Storing & Reheating Béarnaise Sauce

Best served straight away. Keeps warm over hot water off the heat for up to 1 hour. Does not reheat well and should not be stored.

Béarnaise Sauce FAQ: Common Questions

What's in a Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.