America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Beurre Blanc

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on January 24, 2014

Time

20 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes about 2/3 cup)

Beurre Blanc

Ingredients

3 tablespoons dry white wine 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 small shallot, mincedPinch salt 1 tablespoon heavy cream 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled

Instructions

  1. Bring wine, vinegar, shallot, and salt to boil in small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by two-thirds, about 5 minutes. Whisk in cream. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition until butter is incorporated and forms thick, pale yellow sauce, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove pan from heat and serve.
Beurre Blanc

Beurre Blanc

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Time

20 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes about 2/3 cup)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

This delicately flavored sauce is a good way to add richness to fish, shellfish, chicken, and vegetables. Like hollandaise, this butter-based sauce can easily get too hot and “break.” To prevent our sauce from breaking, we add cream to stabilize the emulsion and gradually introduce cold butter to the sauce to keep the temperature consistent.

Instructions

  1. Bring wine, vinegar, shallot, and salt to boil in small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by two-thirds, about 5 minutes. Whisk in cream. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition until butter is incorporated and forms thick, pale yellow sauce, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove pan from heat and serve.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

Keep Exploring

This is a members' feature.