Bearnaise sauce – from Wikepedia
Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
· 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
· 1 shallot
· 2 egg yolks
· 1/3 - 1/2 cup (75 - 100 g) 3 - 4 oz melted butter (warm but not hot)
· salt and cayenne pepper to taste
· 1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon
· 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
Directions
1. Put the vinegars and finely chopped shallot and herbs in a small saucepan; simmer until reduced to 1 tablespoon. This is the flavorful glaze. Strain and set aside to cool.
2. Add the egg yolks and whisk until the Sabayon stage (Ribbon Stage) with a balloon whisk.
3. Place the bowl over a pan of hot water and continue whisking. Gradually add the softened butter, whisking until the sauce thickens and all the butter has been added.
Season and serve.
· Note: To find the right temperature to emulsify the egg mixture and the butter, the bowl should be just hot enough so that you can still touch it. If you cannot hold the bowl it is too hot. Be forewarned that this trick may not always work depending on a multitude of conditions
From another website:
'Peel a shallot and cut it very fine. Put it into a saucepan with two spoonfuls of vinegar. Put it on the gas. Boil it until the vinegar has evaporated considerably. Add a spoonful of cold water. Salt. Lift it off the fire. Add two yolks of egg and put this little saucepan into a large one containing boiling water, holding the smaller one firmly. Stir quickly, with a fork. The mixture of water and yolk of egg will begin to thicken. At this moment lift the small saucepan out of the water, add two ounces of butter cut into pieces the size of a nut. Put it back into the hot water. Stir the mixture all the time with a wire beater. The butter melts and the sauce becomes creamy. Lift it out of the water a little. Add two more ounces of butter cut in pieces. Stir. Put it back into the water. The sauce thickens. Keep on stirring. Dip your finger into the sauce. If it burns, lift the saucepan out of the hot water. Stir fifteen seconds more. The sauce is ready. It should be thinner than mayonnaise. It should, however, coat a spoon which you dip in and lift out again. If you like the flavour of lemon, add a few drops at the beginning of the operation, before the butter. You are then much more likely to be successful with your sauce. This sauce is a delicious accompaniment for a fried steak or any grill.' He's right, it is delicious and it works.
