This Mary Berry Béarnaise Sauce is a rich and herby recipe, which calls for fresh tarragon and a zesty vinegar reduction. It’s the ultimate steak sauce, ready in about 20 minutes.
Mary Berry Béarnaise Sauce Ingredients
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar (or tarragon vinegar)
- 2 tbsp dry white wine (optional, or water)
- 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
- 6 black peppercorns, crushed
- 1 fresh tarragon sprig (stalks reserved for reduction, leaves chopped for sauce)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 150g (5oz) unsalted butter, melted and hot
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
How To Make Mary Berry Béarnaise Sauce
- Make the reduction: In a small saucepan, place the white wine vinegar, white wine (if using), chopped shallot, crushed peppercorns, and the stalks from the tarragon sprig. Bring to a boil and simmer rapidly until the liquid has reduced to about 1 tablespoon. This concentrate holds all the flavor.
- Strain the liquid: Strain the reduced liquid through a sieve into a heatproof bowl (glass or ceramic). Press down on the shallots to extract all the flavorful juices, then discard the solids.
- Whisk the yolks: Add the egg yolks to the bowl with the strained vinegar reduction. Whisk them together for a few seconds.
- Set up the bain-marie: Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Whisk the mixture continuously for 3–4 minutes until it thickens slightly and becomes pale and creamy.
- Add the butter: Remove the bowl from the heat (placing it on a damp tea towel prevents it from spinning). Very slowly, pour in the hot melted butter in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly and vigorously. The sauce will thicken as the butter emulsifies with the yolks.
- Add the herbs: Once all the butter is incorporated and the sauce is thick and glossy, stir in the finely chopped tarragon leaves.
- Season and serve: Taste the sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and a little more black pepper. If it lacks acidity, add a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately while warm.
Recipe Tips
- Butter temperature: The butter should be hot (foaming) when added to the eggs. The heat from the butter cooks the yolks gently, thickening the sauce without scrambling them.
- Saving a split sauce: If the sauce separates (looks oily), don’t panic. Put a fresh egg yolk into a clean bowl. Slowly whisk the split sauce into the new yolk, drop by drop. It will re-emulsify into a smooth cream.
- Fresh tarragon is essential: Dried tarragon lacks the aniseed punch required for a good Béarnaise. If you can’t find tarragon, you can use chervil, but the flavor will be different.
- Reduction flavor: Don’t skip the reduction step. Boiling the shallots and peppercorns in the vinegar mellows the acidity and creates a complex base flavor that plain vinegar cannot provide.
What To Serve With Mary Berry Béarnaise Sauce
This sauce is the king of steak accompaniments.
- Fillet Steak: The classic French bistro pairing.
- Roast Beef: A luxurious alternative to gravy for Sunday roast.
- Grilled Salmon: The richness works well with oily fish.
- Asparagus: A herbal twist on the standard Hollandaise.
- Poached Eggs: For a tarragon-infused Eggs Benedict.
How To Store Mary Berry Béarnaise Sauce
- Keep Warm: This sauce is best made fresh. You can keep it warm in a thermos flask for up to 1 hour.
- Refrigerate: You can store leftovers in the fridge for 1 day, but it will solidify into a butter-like consistency.
- Reheat: Reheating is tricky as it splits easily. Place the bowl over warm (not boiling) water and whisk constantly until just loosened.
- Freeze: Do not freeze.
Mary Berry Béarnaise Sauce Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 310kcal
- Protein: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fat: 34g
- Saturates: 20g
- Sugar: 0g
- Salt: 0.1g
Nutrition information is estimated per serving (based on 4 servings).
FAQs
Can I use dried tarragon?
If you absolutely must, use 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon in the reduction step, but try to add some fresh parsley at the end for color, as dried herbs look dusty in the sauce.
Can I make this in a blender?
Yes, follow the “Quick Hollandaise” method: put the reduction and yolks in the blender, then stream in the hot butter. Stir in the chopped herbs by hand at the end.
Why is my sauce thin?
The sauce will be thin if the yolks weren’t whisked enough over the heat initially, or if the butter was added too quickly.
Try More Recipes:
- Mary Berry Watercress Sauce Recipe
- Mary Berry Marie Rose Sauce Recipe
- Mary Berry Peppercorn Sauce Recipe
Mary Berry Béarnaise Sauce Recipe
Description
A classic French steak sauce made with a reduction of shallots and vinegar, emulsified with egg yolks and butter, and finished with fresh tarragon.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Boil vinegar, shallot, peppercorns, and tarragon stalks until reduced to 1 tbsp.
- Strain liquid into a bowl; discard solids.
- Whisk yolks into the liquid.
- Place bowl over simmering water and whisk until pale.
- Remove from heat and slowly whisk in hot melted butter.
- Stir in chopped tarragon leaves.
- Season and serve warm.
Notes
- Straining the reduction ensures the final sauce is velvety smooth, leaving only the delicate flecks of fresh tarragon leaves as texture.
- Adding the butter slowly is the golden rule of emulsified sauces; rushing this step is the primary cause of splitting.
- If the sauce becomes too thick while sitting, you can whisk in a teaspoon of warm water to bring it back to a pouring consistency.
Mary Berry Béarnaise Sauce Recipe
