Artificial Flavors Free Béarnaise Sauce
Few sauces feel as luxurious as a properly made béarnaise — glossy, buttery, and fragrant with fresh tarragon in a way that no bottled condiment can touch. Every single ingredient here is whole and recognizable: dry white wine, white wine vinegar, shallots, real butter, egg yolks, and herbs straight from the garden. There are no flavor packets, no stabilizer blends, and nothing that requires squinting at a label, which makes this a genuinely clean choice for anyone avoiding synthetic additives. The technique does all the heavy lifting — a careful wine-and-vinegar reduction, clarified butter, and a double-boiler emulsion that builds richness one drop at a time. Fresh tarragon and optional chervil folded in at the finish give the sauce its signature anise-kissed brightness, the kind of flavor that only comes from actual plants. Spoon it over a seared steak, grilled fish, or roasted vegetables and it transforms the whole plate into something restaurant-worthy. Once you've made it from scratch, going back to anything pre-made feels like a serious downgrade.
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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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