FAQs
Béarnaise sauce is a derivative of Hollandaise sauce - one of the five mother sauces of the culinary world. It's made just like Hollandaise, but using a tarragon-shallot reduction instead of lemon juice.
What is asparagus with hollandaise sauce made of? ›
Ingredients
- 1 lemon, juice plus 1 teaspoon zest separated.
- 4 egg yolks.
- 2 tablespoons Cabot Unsalted Butter, melted.
- ½ cup Cabot Plain Greek Yogurt.
- 10 dashes Tabasco hot sauce, or to taste.
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste.
- pinch ground white pepper, or to taste.
- 2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed.
Béarnaise sauce is a piquant child of hollandaise, one of the so-called mother sauces of French cuisine. It is simply an emulsification — egg yolks and butter cut through with vinegar flavored with tarragon and shallots, with a bite of black pepper.
Do you use vinegar or lemon juice for hollandaise? ›
Lemon juice or vinegar helps keep the hollandaise from separating and also adds a touch of acidity for flavour. I much prefer white wine vinegar for its flavour. The eggs need to be cooked, so as you'll see, we'll be heating up the butter so it's bubbling (but not burnt).
What's the difference between Benedict sauce and hollandaise sauce? ›
It's what happens next that sets them apart: Hollandaise gets its acidity from lemon juice (sometimes vinegar) and is usually seasoned with salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper. Béarnaise, meanwhile, builds upon hollandaise with white wine vinegar, shallots, tarragon, and other fresh herbs.
What does tarragon sauce taste like? ›
What Does Tarragon Taste Like? The pungent, bittersweet flavor of tarragon is often compared to licorice, anise, and fennel, thanks to the presence of methyl chavicol, a naturally occurring compound found in many plants and trees with a distinct licorice-like taste and fragrance.
What's a good sauce to put over asparagus? ›
In a bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over chilled Steamed Asparagus.
Why is hollandaise sauce so good? ›
Hollandaise sauce is a rich and creamy sauce that has been a staple in French cuisine for centuries. Made from butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice, Hollandaise sauce has a tangy and buttery flavor that can elevate any dish.
What is the thickening agent in hollandaise sauce? ›
Hollandaise is a tangy, buttery sauce made by slowly whisking clarified butter into warm egg yolks. So the liquid here is the clarified butter and the thickening agent is the egg yolks.
What is a common mistake with hollandaise sauce? ›
Hollandaise Sauce
One common hollandaise mistake is overcooking the egg yolks, and there's no coming back from that. But the most common problem is that the emulsion breaks, and you see streaks of liquid butter instead of a uniformly creamy sauce.
If the recipe calls for dried tarragon, your options open up a bit. Dried marjoram, oregano, basil, dill, or even rosemary or fennel or anise seed (in a pinch) will work well.
What is a sister sauce to hollandaise? ›
The sister sauces include:
Béarnaise = hollandaise + shallots + tarragon + chervil + peppercorns + white wine vinegar. Chantilly = hollandaise + whipped heavy cream. The tomato sauce is classically served with pasta, fish, vegetables, polenta, veal, poultry, bread, and dumplings such as gnocchi.
What to avoid in cooking hollandaise sauce? ›
Hollandaise should be held between 120F to 145F (49 to 63C) so it does not split or curdle. If the sauce is heated above 150F, the eggs can overcook, become grainy and the sauce can potentially split.
Should hollandaise sauce be hot or cold? ›
Hollandaise Sauce should be served warm (it will be warm as soon as you finish making it) or at coolest, room temperature. Note that it thickens as it cools.
Why do you need to constantly whisk when adding the butter to hollandaise sauce? ›
You keep whisking the mixture as you add the melted butter because you want to break it up into tiny, tiny drops. Each tiny drop ends up surrounded by emulsifiers . But to give the emulsifiers a helping hand, you need to keep the butter from gathering in a big glob.
What are the different types of hollandaise sauces? ›
Sauce Bavaroise is hollandaise with cream, horseradish, and thyme. Sauce crème fleurette is hollandaise with crème fraîche. Sauce Dijon, also known as sauce moutarde or sauce Girondine, is hollandaise with Dijon mustard. Sauce Maltaise is hollandaise with blanched orange zest and the juice of blood orange.
What is béarnaise instead of hollandaise sauce? ›
The difference is only in the flavoring: béarnaise uses shallot, black pepper, and tarragon, while hollandaise uses white pepper or a pinch of cayenne. The sauce's name derives from the province of Béarn, France.
What are the sister sauces of hollandaise sauce? ›
The sister sauces include:
- Béarnaise = hollandaise + shallots + tarragon + chervil + peppercorns + white wine vinegar.
- Chantilly = hollandaise + whipped heavy cream. The tomato sauce is classically served with pasta, fish, vegetables, polenta, veal, poultry, bread, and dumplings such as gnocchi.
Parsley and Cinnamon
This is one of the best substitutes if you're making bearnaise sauce and realize you're out of fresh tarragon. Simmer a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a tablespoon of parsley in a 1/4 cup of water. Don't boil the mixture, but allow it to simmer for several minutes.
