Beurre Blanc

Butter, wine, shallots. Three ingredients. One transcendent sauce.

Legend has it a saucier accidentally left the egg yolks out of a béarnaise and the sauce still emulsified. That accident became beurre blanc: the ambassador of French finesse.

Method

01
Reduce 100ml dry white wine + 50ml white wine vinegar + 2 tbsp minced shallot until nearly dry (a syrupy 2 tablespoons).
02
Off the heat, whisk in 200g of cold cubed butter, one cube at a time. Never let it boil.
03
Return to very gentle heat only if it needs help. The sauce should be ivory, silky and coat the spoon.
04
Pass through a fine chinois. Season. Finish with lemon or fine herbs.

Chef's notebook

“Cold butter is non-negotiable — warm butter greases the reduction rather than emulsifying with it.”
“You can stabilise with a tablespoon of cream at the start if service is long.”