Coconut Free Fennel Béarnaise Sauce

Total time30 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time15 min

4.9

(19)

Classic béarnaise already skips the coconut entirely — butter, egg yolks, and fresh herbs are the whole story here — but this version takes things a step further by weaving in fennel and tarragon for a sauce that feels genuinely special. The reduction starts with white grape juice and water simmered down with tarragon stems and finely chopped fennel, building a fragrant, slightly anise-forward base before a single drop of sauce hits the pan. Whisking pasteurized egg yolks into that strained reduction over a double boiler gives you the gentle, controlled heat that turns a loose mixture into something silky and spoonable. Butter goes in one tablespoon at a time, each piece fully absorbed before the next, which is what gives béarnaise that impossibly glossy, coat-the-back-of-a-spoon texture. A finish of finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves ties the whole thing together with bright, herbal flavor. Spoon it over grilled steak, roasted fish, or steamed asparagus and watch it disappear fast.

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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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