Name: Mustard Beurre Monté
Total time: 10 min
Yield: Makes about ½ cup
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons water; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 8 pieces and chilled; 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

Why This Recipe Works

Beurre monté, emulsified melted butter, is a classic French preparation that can be drizzled over cooked meats, vegetables, pastas, and other dishes to add richness and a glossy appearance or used as a rich, creamy sauce base for pairing with a wide range of savory or sweet seasonings. Vigorously whisking cold butter into a measured amount of simmering water broke up the butterfat into tiny droplets that dispersed throughout the water, establishing a thick, creamy emulsion. Whisking stone-ground mustard into the beurre monté produced a bold, rich, easy-to-make sauce.

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Before You Begin

The beurre monté can be covered and kept warm over your stove's lowest setting for up to 4 hours; it will break if simmered for an extended period of time. Beurre monté cannot be cooled and reheated. Serve this sauce over lean roasted or pan-seared proteins such as scallops, cod, pork tenderloin, or chicken breasts or over pasta.

Instructions

Bring water to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce heat to maintain very gentle simmer. Add 1 piece butter and cook, whisking constantly, until butter is melted, 20 to 30 seconds. Continue to cook, whisking in butter 1 piece at a time until all butter is incorporated and sauce has consistency of thin gravy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Whisk in mustard and season with salt to taste. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting and cover to keep warm. Before using, whisk sauce vigorously to blend in any butterfat that has collected on surface.