Rich Butter Sauce Made with Shallots, White Wine, Tarragon, and Egg Yolks

Rich Butter Sauce Made with Shallots, White Wine, Tarragon, and Egg Yolks

Cooking up a Pepper-Crusted Filet Mignon calls for a smooth, luxurious Béarnaise sauce. But keep in mind, this saucy number's temperamental, prone to splitting if you ain't watchin' the temperature and butter addition. Know your stuff or you might end up with a mess on your hands.

Here's the 411, skipping the boring technicalities, 'cause we keep it simple here:

Yield: 3/4 cup* Difficulty: Medium* Total: 35 mins

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 medium)
• 5 fresh tarragon sprigs, leaves removed and finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon), stems reserved
• 6 whole black peppercorns, crushed
• 3 large egg yolks
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature
• 1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chervil (optional)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Start simmering water in a medium saucepan over low heat.
2. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, wine, shallots, tarragon stems, and crushed peppercorns in a medium frying pan. Cook 'em over medium heat until it's reduced to just over 2 tablespoons, roughly 10 minutes. Drain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl.
3. Add egg yolks to the strained mixture, whisk till well combined. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk, watchin' closely, till the yolks thicken and create ribbons when you lift the whisk - approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Be sure to check the water's not boilin' by removin' the bowl every now and then. If it does, reduce the heat so the eggs don't curdle.
4. Whisk in the butter pieces one at a time (make sure each bits is fully incorporated before adding the next one), ensured all butter's whisked in after around 2 minutes. Remove from heat. If the sauce's too thick, thin it slightly with a few drops of water. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the chopped tarragon leaves and chervil (if used). Serve warm.

Remember, temperature control, gradual butter addition, and a stable whiskin' motion are key to a successful Béarnaise sauce. Follow these suggestions, and you'll impress your mates with your culinary flair, guaranteed.

1. The Béarnaise sauce, crucial for the Pepper-Crusted Filet Mignon, is a medium-difficulty recipe, yielding 3/4 cups, and requiring a total time of 35 minutes.
2. The sauce requires ingredients like champagne or white wine vinegar, dry white wine, finely chopped shallots, tarragon sprigs, black peppercorns, egg yolks, unsalted butter, and optional fresh chervil.
3. In the instructions, it's important to maintain the temperature while simmering water, gradually whisk in the butter, and ensure a stable whisking motion for a successful Béarnaise sauce.
4. A suitable form to serve the warm Béarnaise sauce is a sauceboat, providing an aussiedlerbote (German for 'messenger' or 'carrier') for this luxurious culinary creation.

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