Béarnaise Sauce for Steak
Introduction
Béarnaise sauce is a warm, buttery emulsion of egg yolks and butter, sharpened with a reduction of vinegar, white wine, shallot and tarragon.
It is the classic French steak sauce: rich, tangy and fragrant with the gentle aniseed note of tarragon, and it turns a simply seared eye fillet or porterhouse into a restaurant plate.
This bearnaise sauce recipe uses gentle heat and adds the butter one cube at a time, which keeps the sauce stable, and the notes cover a quick blender method and a simple fix if it ever splits.
Ingredients
For 4 servings
- 4 x 200ggrass-fed eye fillet or porterhouse steaksto serve
- 1 tbspolive oilfor the steaks
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepperto season
- 60mlwhite wine vinegarreduction
- 60mldry white winereduction
- 1French shallotfinely chopped (reduction)
- 4tarragon sprigsleaves finely chopped, stalks kept
- 6black peppercornslightly crushed (reduction)
- 3egg yolks
- 180gcold unsalted buttercubed
- 1 tsplemon juice
- 1 tbspchervilchopped, optional
Utensils
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- Small saucepan
- Medium saucepan and heatproof bowl
- Balloon whisk
- Fine sieve
- Stick blender and tall jug, for the blender method
- Heavy-based frying pan
- Digital probe thermometer
- Aluminium foil
Cooking Steps
Make the reduction
Put the vinegar, wine, shallot, tarragon stalks and peppercorns in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until reduced to about 2 tbsp. Strain into a heatproof bowl, pressing on the solids, and let it cool for a minute.
Whisk the yolks
Set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, without the base touching the water. Add the egg yolks and 1 tbsp water and whisk for 2 to 4 minutes, until thick and pale and the whisk leaves a trail. Lift the bowl off the heat for a few seconds if the edges start to set.
Add the butter
Whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time, adding the next only when the last has melted in. Keep the heat gentle and keep whisking for 6 to 8 minutes, until all the butter is in and the sauce is thick and glossy.
Season and hold
Take the bowl off the heat and whisk in the lemon juice, chopped tarragon leaves, chervil and a pinch of salt. Keep it over the pan of hot water with the heat off, whisking now and then, for up to 30 minutes while you cook the steaks.
Cook and rest the steaks
Pat the steaks dry, rub with the oil and season. Cook in a heavy-based frying pan over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until a probe in the centre reads 52 to 55C for medium rare. Rest on a warm plate, loosely covered with foil, for 5 minutes.
Serve
Slice the steaks or serve them whole, and spoon the béarnaise over or alongside. Serve straight away.
Nutrition
Per Serving
Recipe serves 4Nutritional values are estimates only and may vary based on specific ingredients, brands, cuts, cooking method, and portion sizes. For medical or dietary purposes, please consult a qualified nutritionist.
Tips and Pairing
People Also Ask
What ingredients are in béarnaise sauce? +
Béarnaise sauce is made from egg yolks and butter, flavoured with a reduction of white wine vinegar, dry white wine, shallot, tarragon and black peppercorns. It is finished with fresh chopped tarragon, a squeeze of lemon and salt, and sometimes chervil. The yolks and butter form a warm emulsion, which gives béarnaise its thick, glossy texture.
What is the difference between béarnaise and hollandaise? +
Béarnaise and hollandaise are both warm emulsions of egg yolk and butter, but they are flavoured differently. Hollandaise is seasoned simply with lemon juice and suits eggs and fish. Béarnaise is built on a tangy reduction of vinegar, wine, shallot and tarragon, which gives it the sharper, herby flavour that makes it the classic sauce for steak.
How do you fix béarnaise sauce that has split? +
To fix a split béarnaise, take it off the heat, put a fresh egg yolk and 1 tbsp warm water in a clean bowl, then whisk the split sauce in a few drops at a time until it thickens and turns glossy again. Splitting usually means the heat was too high or the butter went in too fast.
How do you make béarnaise sauce without wine? +
To make béarnaise without wine, replace the white wine in the reduction with extra white wine vinegar and a little water, for example 90ml vinegar and 30ml water, then reduce it with the shallot, tarragon and peppercorns as usual. The sauce will be slightly sharper, so add the lemon juice at the end to taste.
What do you serve béarnaise sauce with? +
Béarnaise is best known as a sauce for steak, especially a thick eye fillet, porterhouse or scotch fillet cooked medium rare. Serve it with crisp chips for steak frites, or with roast potatoes, asparagus and green beans. It is also lovely with sliced roast beef and grilled vegetables.
