Beurre Blanc

I know some people who say “any idiot can cook; it’s the sauces that make the meal!”

Of course most of these people are Saucier Chefs and I’ve only heard them speak with this blasphemous tongue at 4:30AM on a Sunday morning in the last pub that will still serve us after a busy Saturday night service in the restaurant.

Just in case there is some truth in what they say though, you would do well to learn a few classic sauce recipes and what better place to start than Beurre Blanc.

This sauce can be used on any number of dishes and is very adaptable to new ideas and cuisine style, infuse it with some unique spices, add some citrus or virtually any herb you can find. Plus that way if you run into one of my snobby salted tongue saucier colleagues you can shut them up before they get out of hand.

Enjoy this classic Beurre Blanc recipe!

Beurre Blanc

Paul Hegeman

4.92 from 69 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Sauce

Cuisine French

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 whole peppercorns
• 2 french shallots
• 250 grams butter
• 1/8 cup fresh cream

Instructions

 

• Place the eschalot, bay leaves, peppercorns and the wine in a small saucepan and place on a low flame until only a bit of liquid is left and a slight glaze appears on the bottom of the pan (approx. an hour).
• Add the cream to the wine reduction and reduce further on very low heat.
• Turn the heat up on the wine/cream reduction for just a minute and then remove the saucepan from the heat all together.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir in butter cubes about 5 at a time. Do not add more until the others have completely melted (very important that you constantly stir at this stage).
• Add the remaining butters 5 at a time and strain the entire sauce through a fine sieve.
• If you are adding your own ingredients such as herbs, spices or juices, this is the point at which to add them.
• Taste for seasoning and serve or keep warm in a Bain Marie (sauce can not be used again once cooled, so time it well).

Notes

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Paul Hegeman

Paul is a personal Chef to exclusive Sydney clients and is also our most frequently contributing writer. Paul was born in The Netherlands and moved to Canada at a very young age. Experience with traditional European meals at home and the diverse multicultural influence of foods in Canada gave Paul a great appreciation for different culinary styles. Over the years Paul traveled extensively and worked at every level of professional kitchens, from the deep fryer in the local burger joint, to the Head Chef in Five Star Hotels. He now resides full time in Sydney, Australia with his wife and their children. You will find his recipes emphasize natural, uncomplicated flavours and fresh ingredients such as those found in Mediterranean and South East Asian cuisines.