Celery Free Ginger-Lime Béarnaise
Classic béarnaise is a showstopper sauce, and this ginger-lime riff takes that buttery, velvety richness somewhere genuinely exciting. The reduction builds a bright, aromatic base from fresh lime juice, dry white wine, rice wine vinegar, shallot, and grated ginger — all simmered down to an intensely flavored tablespoon before the real magic begins. Whisking cold butter cubes into the warm yolk mixture one at a time creates that signature glossy emulsion, while a final hit of fresh ginger and lime zest keeps every bite lively and sharp. The whole ingredient list is naturally free of celery and celery derivatives, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or swap anything out. It's the kind of sauce that makes a simple steak or roasted fish feel like a restaurant-worthy plate. The double-boiler method and built-in temperature check take the guesswork out of cooking the yolks safely, so even if you've been intimidated by emulsified sauces before, this one is very approachable. Make it once and it will absolutely become a go-to.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the reduction
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 2 tbsp dry white wine
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated (about a 1-inch piece)
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- ¼ tsp white pepper
For the sauce
- 3 pasteurized egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cold water
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- ½ tsp lime zest
- salt, to taste
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
- 1
Combine the lime juice, white wine, rice wine vinegar, grated ginger, minced shallot, and white pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, 4–5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, pressing on the solids; discard the solids. Let the reduction cool for 2 minutes.
- 2
Add the pasteurized egg yolks and cold water to the bowl with the cooled reduction and whisk until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
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