Béarnaise Recipe

Combine the white wine vinegar, white wine, minced shallot, chopped tarragon, chopped chervil (or parsley), crushed peppercorns, and sea salt in a small saucepan.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and reduce until about 2 tablespoons of liquid remain (about 6–8 minutes). Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.

Strain the reduction through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to extract flavor. Discard solids and let the reduction cool to lukewarm (about 5 minutes).

Prepare a double boiler

Place a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan with simmering (not boiling) water, making sure the bowl bottom does not touch the water. Keep water at a steady simmer with gentle steam.

In the heatproof bowl, whisk together the 3 egg yolks and the cooled herb reduction until combined and slightly thickened.

Whisk constantly over the steam, warming the yolks gently until they become pale and slightly thickened — the mixture should reach about 60–65°C (140–150°F) or be warm to the touch and able to coat the back of a spoon. This will take 3–5 minutes. Do not let the eggs scramble.

Remove the bowl from the heat but keep it near the pan so residual heat helps. Begin adding the cold butter, one cube at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition to fully emulsify before adding the next. Start with single cubes until the sauce begins to thicken, then you can add butter in slightly larger pieces if desired.

If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in up to 1 teaspoon of warm water to loosen. If it looks like it's breaking (separating), stop adding butter and whisk vigorously or place briefly back over the warm water while whisking to bring it back together.

Once all butter is incorporated and the sauce is smooth and glossy, whisk in the lemon juice, salt, and white or black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning or lemon for brightness.

Stir in 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh tarragon (reserve a little for garnish) and the chopped chervil or parsley if desired. Keep sauce warm (not hot) until serving — place the bowl in a warm spot or over very low warm water. Do not reheat directly or it may break.