Go Back
Beurre Blanc

Beurre Blanc

This classic French beurre blanc (or literally “white butter”) was actually an accidental creation of Chef Clémence Lefeuvre dating back to the early 1900s. As the story goes, the sauce was created when she forgot to add egg yolks and tarragon while preparing Béarnaise sauce. And boy are we glad she did!
This sauce is smooth and flavourful, but not overpowering. In many ways it tastes very similar to a Hollandaise, but is much lighter and will not overpower your food. For this reason, it pair perfectly with light fish dishes such as cod or halibut, with seafood, or even vegetables. And maybe best of all, it’s incredibly simple to make.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 1
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: French
Calories: 2059
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp shallots finely minced
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup unsalted butter cubed
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp white pepper

Equipment

  • small saucepan
  • whisk
  • fine mesh sieve
  • measuring cups and spoons

Method
 

Mise en Place
  1. Assemble equipment. Peel and mince shallots, cube and chill butter, measure and separate all ingredients.
Cooking + Assembly
  1. Combine white wine, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
  2. Continue to boil until the liquid becomes slightly syrupy and has reduced by approximately half, stirring frequently with a whisk.
  3. Once the desired reduction has been achieved, add the heavy cream, salt, and pepper and continue to boil for an additional 1 minute.
  4. Begin adding chilled butter 2-3 cubes at a time while whisking continuously - removing from the heat if necessary. Repeat with the remaining butter, whisking continuously as you go.
  5. Strain the sauce through a mesh sieve to remove the shallots and serve immediately.

Notes

  • If you're feeling adventurous you can create "Beurre Rouge" by substituting red wine for the white in this recipe.
  • The addition of heavy cream in this recipe actually helps with the emulsification process and will allow the sauce to stay rich and creamy for a longer period of time.
  • Feel free to leave the sauce unstrained if you'd like a bit of additional texture in your dish.