Tree Nut Free Fennel Béarnaise Sauce

Total time30 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time15 min

4.9

(19)

Classic béarnaise already skips nuts entirely, but this fennel-forward version takes the French staple somewhere genuinely exciting. The reduction is built from white grape juice, water, tarragon stems, and finely chopped fennel, which gives the finished sauce a subtle anise sweetness that plays beautifully against the richness of the butter. Pasteurized egg yolks are whisked into that strained reduction and cooked over a double boiler until they hit a safe 160°F, so you get both food-safety peace of mind and that signature velvety texture. Butter goes in one tablespoon at a time — patience here is the whole secret — until the sauce is glossy, thick, and absolutely spoonable. Fresh tarragon leaves stirred in at the end keep the herb flavor bright rather than muted. Drape 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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