Beef Free Fennel Béarnaise Sauce

Total time30 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time15 min

4.9

(19)

Classic béarnaise is one of those sauces that feels impossibly luxurious, and this fennel-forward version takes it somewhere even more interesting. The aromatic reduction — built from white grape juice, water, tarragon stems, and finely chopped fennel — gives the finished sauce a subtle anise sweetness that makes it taste genuinely restaurant-worthy. Pasteurized egg yolks are whisked into that strained reduction and gently cooked over a double boiler until thick and safe, then finished with a slow stream of cold butter pieces for that signature silky, spoonable texture. Fresh tarragon leaves stirred in at the end keep the herb flavor bright rather than muddy. Every single ingredient here is plant- or dairy-based, so there's no need to scan labels or worry about hidden meat-derived stocks or drippings sneaking into your sauce. It's stunning spooned over roasted vegetables, fish, or eggs — anywhere you want something rich and a little bit fancy without a lot of fuss.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the reduction

3 tbsp white grape juice
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp fresh tarragon stems, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fennel bulb, finely chopped

For the sauce

3 pasteurized egg yolks
½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-tbsp pieces
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped

Instructions

1
Combine the white grape juice, water, chopped tarragon stems, and fennel in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces to about 2 tablespoons, 5–7 minutes. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, pressing the solids to extract all the liquid; discard the solids.
2
Add the pasteurized egg yolks to the strained reduction in the heatproof bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.

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