After reviewing numerous Béarnaise recipes, and being extremely intimidated by the complexity of it, I thought I would give it a try. I made this sauce for filet mignon, (Click here for the different cuts of beef) of that I marinated in garlic, olive oil, salt and rosemary overnight. Searing it on all sides and cooking it medium rare. I served it with an arugula salad (from our garden) with olive oil, a balsamic reduction and goat cheese.
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup white-wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot, peeled and minced
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon leaves
- 2 egg yolks
- 12 tablespoons ghee (or clarified butter)
- salt, to taste
Put the vinegar, shallots, black pepper and 1 tablespoon of tarragon leaves into a small saucepan, and set over a medium flame. Bring just to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer until there are only a couple of tablespoons of liquid left, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
Fill a small saucepan with an inch or two of water, and set over medium-high heat to boil.
In a metal mixing bowl, whisk the egg yokes with a tablespoon of cold water. Add in the cooled shallot-and-tarragon then whisk to combine.
Turn the heat under the saucepan of water down to its lowest setting, and put the bowl on top of the pan, making sure that it does not touch the water directly. Continue to whisk the yolks until they thicken, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. You should just about double the volume of the yolks.
Slowly beat in the butter, a tablespoon or two at a time, whisking slowly to combine and emulsify. Remove the bowl from the pan occasionally, so as not to overcook the eggs, and taste the sauce. Season with salt. If the flavor is not sharp enough, add a splash of lemon juice. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of water. Add the remaining teaspoon of tarragon leaves, and serve.
