Béarnaise Sauce
60 ml Sauvignon Blanc
60 ml Tarragon Vinegar
(2 tablespoons of ground tarragon can be substituted)
3 Shallots chopped fine
6 whole peppercorns
1 sprig of Thyme
1 bay leaf broken up
150 grams of butter
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 pinch of finely ground cayenne
1 teaspoon of chopped tarragon leaves
Bring the wine, vinegar shallots, tarragon, pepper, thyme and bay leaf to a boil and reduce to a few table spoons of liquid. Strain and cool before adding the mixture to the double boiler on a low flame. Gradually add the butter in small clumps stirring until the butter has completely melted away. Now add slowly , bit by bit, the egg yolks until the sauce has thickened. Once thickened immediately remove from the flame and add a few drops of cold water. Stir in the cayenne and tarragon. Don’t forget that thickening with egg requires low heat. Check out the post about the thickening sauces.
