Rice Free Béarnaise Sauce
Rich, velvety, and deeply aromatic, this classic French emulsion sauce is built on clarified butter, egg yolks, and a sharp white wine and vinegar reduction that gives it a tangy backbone unlike anything you can buy in a jar. The process of slowly whisking warm clarified butter into thickened yolks creates a sauce so luxuriously smooth it feels almost indulgent to spoon over a steak or roasted vegetables. Fresh tarragon is the soul of the whole thing — added both to the reduction and stirred in at the finish — giving every bite that distinctive anise-like brightness that makes béarnaise so unmistakably itself. Naturally, every single ingredient here is grain-free and completely free of rice in any form, so there's nothing to second-guess on the label or in the pan. The double-hit of tarragon plus optional chervil keeps the herb flavor layered and lively rather than flat. Whisking continuously over a gentle double boiler is the key technique that holds the emulsion together and brings the yolks safely up to temperature without scrambling them. Once you nail the method, this is the kind of sauce that makes a simple weeknight dinner feel like a proper restaurant plate.
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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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