Beurrenantais Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Place wine, lemon juice, cream, shallots, and cream in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and let simmer until liquid is reduced by about 75%, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and whisk in about 2 cubes of butter. Keep butter moving until it melts. When melted, add a few more cubes, whisking continuously so butter emulsifies into the wine/lemon juice mixture.
• Continue to add butter, a few cubes at a time until all of it has been incorporated and the sauce has a thick, luxurious texture, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste for seasonings and add a pinch of salt and cayenne, if desired. Serve immediately.

BEURRE NANTAIS

Steps:

• Cut butter into small pieces and chill.
• In a small heavy saucepan simmer wine, vinegar, and shallot over moderate heat until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 5 minutes.
• Add cream and simmer mixture until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Gradually add butter a few pieces at a time, whisking and adding more before previous pieces are fully incorporated (mixture will be creamy and pale).
• Remove pan from heat and pour sauce through a fine sieve into a sauceboat, pressing on solids.
• Season sauce with lemon juice and salt and pepper.
• Serve sauce immediately.

BEURRE NANTAIS (HERB BUTTER SAUCE)

Steps:

• Combine shallots, vinegar, quarter teaspoon pepper and water in 4-cup saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer until liquid is reduced by about half. If mixture becomes too dry, add a little more water.
• Cut butter into inch cubes. Add about a third to sauce, stirring vigorously, and cook over low heat. Do not let this sauce boil, or it will curdle. Continue adding butter, about a third at a time. Continue stirring until butter is melted. Beat constantly until butter sauce is piping hot.
• Remove from heat, and stir in the tarragon, chervil, parsley and lime or lemon juice, beating. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

CLASSIC BEURRE BLANC: WHITE BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine vinegar, wine, shallots, lemon, and bay leaves to make an infusion. Simmer over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until the mixture is reduced to a wet paste, about 2 tablespoons. Add the cream and continue to simmer until reduced again to about 2 tablespoons. Cream is added to make the sauce more stable and less likely to separate.
• Reduce the heat to low and remove the bay leaves. Whisk in the chunks of butter in small batches. The butter should melt without the sauce getting too hot, producing a creamy emulsified sauce. Do not let the sauce go over 130 degrees F, where it will separate. If the sauce starts to break, remove from heat, add 2 ice cubes and whisk until it cools down and comes back together. Season with salt and pepper, fold in the chives, and serve immediately. Keep covered in a warm place for a few hours, if needed.
• Serve with fish or vegetables.

BASIC BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Please include direction to work quickly and not to overheat mixture as sauce is likely to ?break,? separate.
• In a saucepan combine vinegar, wine and shallots. Over low to medium heat reduce mixture to about 1 tablespoon of product. Mixture will become like a jam.
• Over low heat add dots of cold butter while continually whisking. Continue to add, mount, butter quickly, barely allowing for previously added butter to melt. Mixture will appear frothy and creamy.
• Strain sauce (optional). Season with salt and pepper to taste Serve over steamed asparagus

BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• In small saucepan, combine shallots, wine, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 10 minutes.
• Turn down heat to lowest possible flame. Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, adding a piece as previous one melts. Don't allow sauce to become too hot. For a more smooth sauce, strain through a fine sieve, if desired.
• Season with salt and pepper and keep over a bain-marie. Just before serving, stir in herbs.

WHITE BUTTER SAUCE WITH CREAM BEURRE NANTAIS

Steps:

• Cut butter into small pieces and chill. In a small heavy saucepan simmer wine, vinegar, and shallot over moderate heat until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 5 minutes. Add cream and simmer mixture until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually add butter a few pieces at a time, whisking and adding more before previous pieces are fully incorporated (mixture will be creamy and pale). Remove pan from heat and pour sauce through a fine sieve into a sauceboat, pressing on solids. Season sauce with lemon juice and salt and pepper.
• Serve sauce immediately.

BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Put the shallots, wine and vinegar into a small, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is reduced to four tablespoons.
• Add the cream. When it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter one pat at a time. Add the tarragon, season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.