Sauce béarnaise

Sauce béarnaise is a classic French emulsified sauce made from clarified butter and egg yolks, flavored with a reduction of vinegar or wine, shallots, tarragon, and often black pepper or chervil.

Sauce béarnaise is a classic French emulsified sauce made from clarified butter and egg yolks, flavored with a reduction of vinegar or wine, shallots, tarragon, and often black pepper or chervil. It is considered a variation of hollandaise and is traditionally served with steak and other plain meats or fish. In Canada, béarnaise sauce is familiar in both French and English cooking, especially as a steakhouse accompaniment and in classic French-inspired cuisine.

Definition

Béarnaise sauce is a classic French sauce made by emulsifying egg yolks and clarified butter with a flavoured reduction. Its signature flavour comes from tarragon and shallots, which distinguish it from hollandaise.

Ingredients and preparation

Traditional recipes reduce vinegar or white wine with shallots, pepper, and tarragon, then whisk the liquid with egg yolks before gradually incorporating warm butter. The result is a rich sauce with a smooth, pourable consistency.

Culinary use

Béarnaise is widely used as a finishing sauce, especially for grilled steak. It is also served with other meats and, in some recipes, with fish.

Origins

Modern culinary references describe béarnaise as French in origin and sometimes link it to the 19th century. One commonly repeated tradition attributes its creation to chef Jules Collinet for a Paris-area restaurant opening in 1836.

Relation to hollandaise

Béarnaise is often described as a child or variation of hollandaise sauce. Both are butter-and-egg emulsions, but béarnaise is flavoured with tarragon, shallots, and vinegar rather than the lemon-based seasoning typical of hollandaise.