High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Fennel Béarnaise Sauce
Classic béarnaise is one of those sauces that feels impossibly luxurious, and this fennel-forward version takes it somewhere even more interesting. The anise-like sweetness of fresh fennel bulb and fragrant tarragon build a reduction that gives the finished sauce real depth and a faintly floral edge. Because every ingredient here is whole and unprocessed — real butter, fresh herbs, egg yolks, white grape juice — there's no sneaky sweetener hiding in the mix, which is exactly the kind of reassurance that's hard to get from a jarred or packaged sauce. The double-boiler method gently cooks the yolks to a safe 160°F while keeping the texture silky rather than scrambled, so the technique is as reliable as it is elegant. Whisking in cold butter one piece at a time is the move that transforms everything into that glossy, spoon-coating consistency you're after. Spoon it over grilled steak, roasted fish, or steamed asparagus and it will absolutely steal the show.
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Learn more →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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