Bearnaise sauce is a favourite with most kids and adults. We don't think the supermarket version is bad at all - but it doesn't take long to make your own, and if you stick to our recipe, you needn't worry about it separating!
Directions
1. Melt the butter in a pot, and leave to cool in the pot until it's just warm enough to touch when you need it.
2. Pour egg yolks and 2 tsp. vinegar in another pot. Switch the hob on to medium heat, and whisk forcefully. You don't want the heat too high, or the egg will start to cook and turn to scrambled eggs. As soon as the yolks start to thicken, whisk some more and remove the pot from the heat. Leave the pot off the heat from this point on - this way you'll avoid it separating.
3. While you whisk, add the melted, lukewarm butter bit by bit. The sauce will now start to get thick and creamy. Add the rest of the butter while whisking - but not the last, milky white bit at the bottom. This is whey, and just goes in the bin.
4. Add washed and chopped terragon and season with salt, pepper and maybe a bit more vinegar to taste. The bearnaise should be served warm, not hot - if it gets too hot, it will separate. If you're brave, you can heat it very carefully when it's done - but be careful it doesn't get too hot! The hob should be on no higher than level 2 - and you'll need to whisk continuously. The sauce should never be hotter than fingertip-warm, or you risk it separating.
5. Serve with a nice, juicy steak and homemade oven chips.
6. Enjoy!
FAQs
The bearnaise should be served warm, not hot - if it gets too hot, it will separate. If you're brave, you can heat it very carefully when it's done - but be careful it doesn't get too hot! The hob should be on no higher than level 2 - and you'll need to whisk continuously.
Why does Béarnaise sauce curdle? ›
Either your sabayon (beaten egg yolk and water) is too hot, or the butter is too hot, or you're adding the butter too fast. If the egg emulsion is too hot, the proteins in the yolks cook before they can emulsify with the oil. If the butter is too hot, it cooks the egg on contact, also preventing the emulsion.
How do you're emulsify bearnaise? ›
Add a little fat back––a classic emulsified sauce is typically a 1:1 ratio of fat to liquid! If your sauce is breaking but is also very thin, vigorously whisking in a little fat (butter, egg yolk) can bring it around.
How do you keep homemade sauce from separating? ›
If you're making a white sauce, add an egg yolk to stabilize the emulsion. If your sauce is a tomato-based sauce (like marinara), add some heavy cream to stabilize the emulsion. The heavy cream will help bind the oil with the tomatoes, creating a thicker consistency.
How do you stabilize bearnaise sauce? ›
Blending hot butter into the vinegar and egg yolk mixture instead of whisking it over a double boiler makes for a foolproof and stable emulsion every time.
How to keep hollandaise sauce from separating? ›
Add 1 tsp Dijon mustard to your bowl or blender before you add in the eggs. The mustard with stabilize your sauce and will prevent it from separating. If you notice your hollandaise is too thick while whisking or blending, add 1 tbsp of hot water before you sauce has a chance to separate.
What are common mistakes hollandaise? ›
Tips & Techniques > Troubleshooting Hollandaise
If the heat is too high, the egg yolks will curdle and the sauce will become grainy. When a sauce splits, this means that the fat has separated from the egg foam (the sauce has lost its emulsion). The result will look thin, greasy, and lumpy.
Can Bernaise sauce be saved? ›
A: in my experience, yes it can be saved/reheated. it's great straight but you can thin it out (stretching it, a bit) by adding butter too. And i've kept them for months in the refrig, and it tastes the same. Looks the same, too.
Why clarified butter in Béarnaise? ›
Using clarified butter gives you a purer, more intense, and slightly nuttier butter flavour in your Béarnaise.
How do you fix a broken emulsification? ›
You can do this by placing a teaspoon of lemon juice (or water) in a clean bowl and adding a small amount of the broken emulsion, whisking to form another, stable emulsion. Once that emulsion forms, drizzle in the rest of the broken sauce, whisking constantly.
The Fix Is Simple—Add Water Back.
Here's how fix a broken sauce: Add about ¼ cup of water to the pan and reheat the sauce to a vigorous simmer, whisking constantly. The bubbling action will help re-emulsify the butter and bring back that thick, glossy sauce.
