Perfect Blender Béarnaise sauce

By Foodiewife

Béarnaise sauce is an "offshoot" of Hollandaise sauce. Traditionally, Béarnaise uses shallots, white wine vinegar, tarragon, peppercorns and chervil. Don't worry, if you can't find the chervil, because its hard to find. Tarragon, on the other hand is pretty easy to find at your grocery store. (We grow it, because it's low-maintenance and easy to do.) Chefs use clarified butter, and make this over a double boiler. I love Béarnaise over Filet Mignon...but I wanted a less fussy, yet fool-proof, way to make it. I whipped this up in my Vitamix blender and it turned out creamy and delicious-- best of all, I didn't have to clarify the butter and it took less than 2 minutes. This sauce is delicious with seafood as well, especially salmon. Yes, it's rich but once in a while, treat yourself to this white sauce. NOTE: This recipe uses uncooked egg yolks, so it's best that you use pasteurized eggs and that the shells have been washed so as not to transfer any kind of bacteria.

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 1/2 sticks butter (don't use margarine or substitute!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of pepper (I used white pepper)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 dashes hot sauce (optional, I omitted)
• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Details

Preparation time 5mins
Cooking time 10mins
Adapted from foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Equipment needed: Blender. (I haven't had success making this in a food processor. This sauce is really an "emulsion", which means that adding the very warm butter to the egg yolks should whip up and thicken.) You will need the high speed of a blender to make this work.

Optional Equipment: To keep the sauce warm, you will need a large bowl or pot with warm (not boiling) water.

Note: Make the sauce right before you are ready to plate your food, and while it is nice and hot. This is where "mis en place" becomes helpful. That is, measure everything and have it prepared and ready to go!

Place the egg yolks in the blender; allow to come to room temperature, while you prepare your entree and sides. (You can freeze the egg whites for later use.)

In a small pot, add the chopped tarragon and vinegar and simmer on medium for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Note: You could add 1 tablespoons of finely chopped shallots (not onion) for a more traditional ingredient, if you wish.)

To make the sauce: To the egg yolks, add the lemon juice, vinegar mixture, salt & pepper, and hot sauce (if using... which I don't).

Blend for about 5 seconds.

For the butter: Melt or microwave the butter until it is just becoming foamy. You don't want the butter to be boiling hot, or it could "cook" the eggs. Wait until the butter is very warm...

...with the blender running on medium- high speed, slowly begin to drizzle the very warm butter. Then, turn on the blender to high speed for about 1 minute. Turn off the blender, and check the thickness of the sauce. Serve immediately.

Because I have a Vitamix, I let the blender run on turbo super-high speed, which actually helps to really heat the sauce. My sauce turned out really thick and creamy.

If you need to keep the sauce warm, place it in the bowl/pot of very warm water (not boiling) and carefully cover the top of the blender with a thick towel. Do not microwave to reheat, as it can make the whole sauce fall apart.

Can you adapt this to a Hollandaise? Yes! Just leave out the vinegar and herbs and add a little hot sauce, and there you go.