Chef John's Classic Béarnaise with Tarragon and Capers

1. 1

   Put 1 cup of tarragon, the shallots, and the peppercorns in a saucepan. Add the white wine vinegar, white wine, and water. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer; stir. Lower the heat to medium-low to keep a gentle simmer and reduce the liquid to about 3 tablespoons. Take off the heat after 20 to 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing the tarragon mixture to extract as much liquid as possible.

2. 2

   To make the compound butter: Put 1/4 cup chopped tarragon and the capers in a mortar. Mash with a pestle for about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon cold butter. Mash and pound with the pestle until everything is thoroughly combined into a solid mass. Transfer to a piece of plastic wrap, wrap, and chill.

3. 3

   To make the Béarnaise sauce: Put the egg yolks in a stainless steel (flameproof) mixing bowl; add 3 tablespoons of the tarragon/shallot reduction and whisk together. Add the cold butter cubes. Set the bowl over low to medium heat, whisking constantly as you hold the bowl with a kitchen towel, until the sauce thickens. After the butter melts, keep whisking; the mixture will turn a lighter yellow after 8 to 10 minutes. When the mixture is nice and thick, reduce the heat to low and stir in the compound butter, broken into chunks. Keep whisking. Remove from the heat. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.

• Calories 87.66 kcal Low Source
• Protein 4.88 g Low Source
• Carbs 8.46 g Moderate
• Total Fat 3.4 g Low Source
• Saturated Fat 1.38 g Moderate
• Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source
• Cholesterol 47.35 mg Moderate
• Sodium 53.69 mg Low Source
• Fiber 1.14 g Low Source
• Sugar 0.42 g Low Source
• Added Sugar 0.41 g Low Source
• Calcium 173.94 mg Moderate
• Iron 4.98 mg Good Source
• Potassium 448.61 mg Low Source
• Vitamin A 67.99 mcg_rae Low Source
• Vitamin C 7.39 mg Low Source
• Vitamin D 0.75 mcg Low Source

Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

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