Name: Blender Béarnaise Sauce
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1/2 cup white wine vinegar; 2 sprigs fresh tarragon , plus 1 1/2 tablespoons minced; 1 shallot , sliced thin; 3 large egg yolks; 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1/4 teaspoon Salt; Pinch cayenne pepper , plus extra for seasoning; 16 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and still hot; Hot water

Why This Recipe Works

Béarnaise is a variation of Hollandaise sauce, the hallmark emulsified buttery, creamy sauce that tops eggs Benedict. Adding a white wine and tarragon reduction takes hollandaise into more savory territory, making it an ideal sauce for any steak, chop, or fish. The key to successful blender béarnaise that won’t separate is to slowly add the proper ratio of hot melted butter (16 tablespoons) to a mixture of egg yolks, lemon, cayenne, and the tarragon reduction, with either a blender or immersion blender running. This creates a thick and creamy emulsion with guaranteed success.

Before You Begin

When making the béarnaise with an immersion blender, we prefer to make it in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, but another container of equal volume and diameter will also work. It’s important to make sure the butter is still hot (about 180 degrees) so that the egg yolks cook sufficiently.

Instructions

Bring vinegar, tarragon sprigs, and shallot to simmer in small skillet over medium heat. Cook until vinegar is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 5 to 7 minutes; remove from heat. Using fork, discard shallot slices and tarragon sprigs.

FOR A BLENDER: Process egg yolks, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cayenne, and vinegar mixture in blender until frothy, about 10 seconds. With blender running, slowly drizzle in hot butter until fully emulsified, about 2 minutes.FOR AN IMMERSION BLENDER: Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cayenne, and vinegar mixture in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Add hot butter. Quickly place blender in bottom of cup and blend until sauce begins to emulsify. Slowly pull blender toward surface until sauce is fully emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Stir in minced tarragon. Adjust consistency with hot water as needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, until sauce slowly drips from spoon. Season with salt and extra cayenne to taste.