Pork Free Fennel Béarnaise Sauce

Total time30 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time15 min

4.9

(19)

Classic béarnaise is already a naturally pork-free sauce, but this fennel-forward version takes things up a notch with a fragrant reduction built from white grape juice, fresh tarragon stems, and finely chopped fennel bulb. The result is a silky, buttery sauce with a subtle anise sweetness that feels both refined and deeply comforting. Whisking pasteurized egg yolks over a double boiler and bringing them to 160°F gives you that luscious, custard-like body while keeping the process food-safe — no guesswork required. Adding the butter one tablespoon at a time is the real secret to that glossy, spoon-coating finish that makes this sauce look like it came out of a serious restaurant kitchen. A final stir of finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves brightens everything up and ties the herbal notes together beautifully. Spoon it over grilled fish, roasted vegetables, or a perfectly seared steak 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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