Julia Child's Beurre Blanc

By ciriangel

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
• 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots or scallions
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 8 to 12 ounces 1 to 1 1/2 cups, or 2 to 3 sticks chilled best-quality unsalted butter, cut into 16 or 24 pieces

Details

Servings 1

Preparation

Step 1

In small saucepan heat liquids to a boil, adding shallot and white pepper. Boil down to a syrupy glaze.

Remove pan from heat and whip in two lumps of butter, then two more.

Set pan over very low heat and continue to add butter as soon as the last lump has been absorbed.

It should be smooth like mayonnaise, and the butter should not melt.


Leftover sauce. It will congeal. Use like flavored butter, or heat it a little
bit at a time, as for Hollandaise: …set a small saucepan in another sauce-
pan of warm water, and stir the sauce by spoonfuls into the small pan,
warming it a bit at a time.