Almond Free Béarnaise Sauce
Few sauces feel as luxurious as a properly made béarnaise — glossy, buttery, and fragrant with fresh tarragon, it transforms a simple steak or roasted vegetable into something genuinely special. The entire recipe is built from scratch using whole, straightforward ingredients: white wine, vinegar, shallots, clarified butter, and egg yolks, with no nut-based additions or hidden allergens to worry about. The technique is the star here — a careful wine-and-vinegar reduction lays down a bright, savory backbone before the yolks are gently cooked over a double boiler to a safe 160°F, giving you both food safety and that signature velvety texture. Adding the clarified butter drop by drop at first is the move that makes the emulsion hold, and once it comes together it coats the back of a spoon in the most satisfying way. A pinch of cayenne and a generous fold of fresh tarragon at the finish keep every bite lively and aromatic. It's the kind of sauce that looks impressive on the table but rewards anyone willing to spend a focused twenty minutes at the stove.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the reduction
- 3 tbsp dry white wine
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 medium shallots, finely minced
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped (for reduction)
- ¼ tsp black pepper, coarsely cracked
For the sauce
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3 pasteurized egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cold water
- ¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped (for finishing)
- 1 tsp fresh chervil, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the white wine, white wine vinegar, minced shallots, roughly chopped tarragon, and cracked black pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tbsp, 5–7 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid; discard the solids. Let the reduction cool for 2–3 minutes until no longer steaming.
- 2
Melt the butter in the small saucepan over medium-low heat, then increase the heat slightly and cook until the foam subsides and the milk solids settle to the bottom, about 5 minutes. Skim off any foam from the surface. Carefully pour the clear golden butter into a liquid measuring cup or small pitcher, leaving the white milk solids behind in the pan; discard the solids. Keep the clarified butter warm.
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