Béarnaise

An easy way to up your food game is with a sauce. There are so many options and flavor profiles to enhance even the simplest meals. For instance, take eggs. I do like eggs on their own and I eat them several days a week. However, when you add a sauce like this béarnaise or my roasted red pepper purgatory sauce eggs take on a whole new meaning.

This béarnaise pairs very well with steak and crab meat too. The sharpness of this sauce combined with the richness of the steak and crab meat is eye rolling in the back of your head deliciousness.

I first had béarnaise, crab and steak about 20 years ago at Lewne’s Steak House in Annapolis. Since, we’ve gone back every year, at least once a year for special occasions. I am a big fan of this family owned restaurant and I’ve never been disappointed. There are a lot of “off menu” items which we’ve picked up on over the years. For instance, I recommend the onion rings. Ask for the mustard sauce on the side. You can also ask for béarnaise and jumbo lump crab meat to top any steak.

Save yourself some money and enhance the already awesome dishes you make at home with your own béarnaise sauce. Also pairs nicely with salmon and asparagus. Honestly, I could drink this sauce straight out of the bowl.

Béarnaise:

1/4 cup of champagne or white wine or rice wine vinegar (I like white wine vinegar best)

1 shallot, peeled and minced

1 heaping tablespoon of tarragon leaves, chopped

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, melted

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Mince your shallots and chop your tarragon.

Toss the shallots and tarragon into a small saucepan with the 1/4 cup of vinegar. I listed a few options to choose from. These are very mild vinegar and you want to stay away from a straight white vinegar. 

Cook over medium heat until the liquid has reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Take the mixture off the heat and let it cool while you prepare the rest of your ingredients. 

Use a small saucepan filled with about an inch of water over medium heat and bring the water to a simmer. In a bowl that will fit on the top of the saucepan without touching the water, whisk the egg yolks with the cooled shallot mixture. 

Set the bowl over the simmering water and add a tablespoon of melted butter to the egg mixture while constantly whisking. Once incorporated, add another tablespoon of butter until all the butter has been added and the mixture becomes thick and creamy. You may have to remove the bowl from the saucepan occasionally. You don't want to scramble the eggs. 

Use the sauce immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a few days. When you want to reheat the sauce, do so slowly over a double boiler. 

This sauce is so, so delicious over a simply seasoned grilled steak, roasted asparagus. salmon and poached eggs. Mix in some crab meat on either of these dishes and you have yourself a party!