Seed Oil Free Classic Béarnaise
Few sauces feel as luxurious as a properly made béarnaise — glossy, buttery, and perfumed with fresh tarragon and a bright hit of white wine vinegar. What makes this version especially clean is what it leaves out: the entire emulsion is built on clarified butter and egg yolks, with no vegetable, canola, or other refined seed oils anywhere in sight. That matters more than it might seem, since many restaurant versions and jarred shortcuts sneak in neutral oils to cut costs or stabilize the texture. Here, the richness comes entirely from real butter that you clarify yourself, which also gives the sauce its signature golden color and silky body. The tarragon-and-shallot reduction is the flavor backbone, and the slow, steady drizzle of warm clarified butter into the whipped yolks is what transforms those simple components into something genuinely restaurant-worthy. A touch of chervil and fresh lemon juice at the finish keeps it lively rather than heavy. Spoon it over a seared steak, poached fish, or roasted asparagus and it will absolutely steal the show.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the reduction
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp dry white wine
- 2 medium shallots, finely minced
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped (for the reduction)
- ¼ tsp black pepper, coarsely cracked
For the sauce
- 3 pasteurized egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cold water
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, clarified
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped (for finishing)
- 1 tsp fresh chervil, finely chopped (optional)
- salt, to taste
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- 1
Clarify the butter: melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the milk solids sink and the foam subsides, about 8–10 minutes. Skim the foam from the surface, then carefully pour the clear golden liquid into a heatproof measuring cup, leaving the white milk solids behind. Keep warm.
- 2
Make the reduction: combine the white wine vinegar, white wine, shallots, roughly chopped tarragon, and cracked black pepper in the small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 4–5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, pressing the solids to extract all the liquid; discard the solids.
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