Walnut Free Classic Béarnaise
Béarnaise is one of those sauces that feels like a flex every time you serve it — glossy, buttery, and fragrant with fresh tarragon and a whisper of chervil. The technique here is classic and careful: a white wine and vinegar reduction built with shallots and cracked pepper forms the flavor backbone before the egg yolks ever hit the bowl. Whisking the yolks over a gentle bain-marie until they reach a safe internal temperature gives you that signature ribbony thickness without any guesswork. Then the warm clarified butter goes in drop by drop, building a sauce so silky it practically pours itself. Every ingredient in this recipe is naturally free of tree nuts, so there's no need to audit labels or swap anything out — just cook with confidence. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the whole thing and keeps the richness from feeling heavy. Spoon it over a seared steak, roasted asparagus, or poached fish and watch it disappear fast.
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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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