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Béarnaise sauce

Tamasin Day-Lewis from Tamasin Day Lewis
A classic egg-based sauce from Tamasin Day-Lewis - rich, buttery and pungently flavoured with vinegar, shallot, peppercorns and tarragon

Béarnaise sauce

Method

1. First clarify the butter. Put it in a small saucepan over low heat. When the milky sediment rises to the top, either skim off the sediment with a spoon or pour the butter through a small muslin-lined sieve set over a bowl.

2. Put the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the tarragon, the shallot and crushed peppercorns in a small, heavy-based saucepan. Simmer gently until reduced by half.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3. Add the egg yolks and cold water to the vinegar mixture. Set the pan over low heat and whisk continuously for about 10 minutes until the sauce emulsifies. Do not allow it to reach boiling point.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the clarified butter a little at a time. Season to taste, then push the sauce through a fine sieve.

5. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of tarragon, the chervil and lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately.

Cooks Notes:
Béarnaise sauce is wonderful with grilled steak but it is also delicious just with good crusty bread dipped into it

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Serves: 6

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min

Ingredients
240g unsalted Butter
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp finely chopped tarragon
30g finely chopped shallot
10 peppercorns, crushed
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp finely chopped chervil, (optional)
good squeeze of lemon juice
freshly ground salt and black pepper