Citric Acid Free Béarnaise Sauce
Few sauces feel as luxurious as a properly made béarnaise — glossy, buttery, and fragrant with fresh tarragon in every spoonful. What makes this version especially appealing for anyone avoiding citric acid is that the tang comes entirely from a reduction of dry white wine and white wine vinegar, with no citrus or additive-laden shortcuts anywhere in sight. The process starts by simmering shallots, tarragon, and cracked pepper into a concentrated, aromatic base that gives the sauce its signature depth before a single egg yolk hits the bowl. Clarifying the butter is a key step here, and it does double duty — it removes the milk solids and creates a pure, stable fat that emulsifies beautifully with the yolks over a gentle bain-marie. Whisking the butter in drop by drop at first is the move that transforms everything from a greasy scramble into something silky and spoon-coating. Finished with a generous fold of fresh tarragon and optional chervil, this is the kind of sauce that makes a simple steak or roasted vegetable feel like a proper restaurant plate. Once you've made it from scratch with ingredients you trust, it's genuinely hard to go back to anything from a packet.
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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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