Ultimate 5-Minute Béarnaise Sauce Recipe

Elevate your steak or fish with this quick and luxurious French béarnaise sauce!

Forget spending hours in the kitchen – this foolproof béarnaise sauce recipe will have you feeling like a Michelin-starred chef in just 5 minutes. It’s the perfect way to add a touch of elegance to your home-cooked meals without breaking a sweat.

While other classic French sauces might require days of preparation and hard-to-find ingredients, béarnaise is your secret weapon for impressing guests with minimal effort. This velvety, herb-infused butter sauce will transform any ordinary steak or fish into a restaurant-worthy dish.

What Makes Béarnaise So Special?

Béarnaise is a luxurious emulsion of butter, white wine, vinegar, and aromatic herbs. It’s a close cousin to hollandaise sauce, one of the five French mother sauces. Traditionally, making béarnaise was a finicky process fraught with potential pitfalls. But fear not! Our innovative technique takes all the guesswork out of creating this sublime sauce.

The Secret to Foolproof Béarnaise

Our game-changing method ditches the double boiler in favor of your trusty immersion blender. By harnessing the power of modern kitchen gadgets, we’ve simplified the process without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. The result? A silky-smooth, perfectly emulsified sauce that will have your dinner guests swooning.

Once you’ve mastered this technique, you’ll wonder why you ever hesitated to make béarnaise at home. It’s the perfect way to elevate your cooking game and add a touch of French sophistication to your repertoire.

5-Minute Foolproof Béarnaise Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 3 sprigs chervil, leaves finely minced, stems reserved separately (optional; if not using add an extra sprig of tarragon)
• 3 sprigs tarragon, leaves finely minced, stems reserved separately
• 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 egg yolks
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter

Directions

1. Start by creating a flavorful reduction. In a small saucepan, combine the wine, vinegar, herb stems, shallots, and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower to maintain a gentle bubbling. Let it cook down until you’re left with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of liquid gold, which should take around 15 minutes. Strain this aromatic elixir through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to extract every last drop of flavor.
2. Now, let’s prepare for the magic moment. In a cup that snugly fits your immersion blender, combine the wine reduction, egg yolk, and a pinch of salt. In a separate small saucepan, melt the butter over high heat, swirling constantly until it stops foaming. Quickly transfer the melted butter to a 1-cup liquid measuring cup.
3. Here’s where the magic happens! Place your immersion blender into the cup with the wine reduction and egg yolk mixture. Turn it on and keep it running as you slowly drizzle in the hot butter. Watch in awe as the sauce emulsifies before your eyes, transforming into a thick, creamy dream. Once all the butter is incorporated, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt. Stir in the minced tarragon and chervil for a fresh, herbal punch. Serve your béarnaise immediately, or keep it warm in a small lidded pot for up to an hour before serving. Remember, this sauce is best enjoyed fresh – it doesn’t take kindly to being cooled and reheated.

Pro Tips

If your béarnaise turns out a bit thin, don’t panic! Simply transfer it to a large bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. Whisk vigorously until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. With this technique in your back pocket, you’ll never serve a subpar béarnaise again!