Chef John's Classic Béarnaise with Tarragon and Capers
Chef John's Classic Béarnaise with Tarragon and Capers is lush and buttery, with a bright tang from a tarragon–shallot reduction and subtle pops of briny caper flavor. Its silky texture coats steak, roasted asparagus, or salmon beautifully, making it a standout for special dinners or a refined weekend meal. The balance of herbaceous notes and gentle heat keeps each bite lively yet rich.
- Prep15 mins
- Cook40 mins
- Serves8
- DifficultyHard
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John's Classic Béarnaise with Tarragon and Capers, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 57 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 0.24 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 90 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 47
- Heart Health
- 63
- Metabolic
- 17
- Digestive
- 20
- Inflammatory
- 44
- Performance
- 44
- General Wellness
- 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
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
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 99.35 kcal Low Source 5%
- Protein 5.65 g Moderate 11%
- Carbohydrate 9.39 g 3%
- Total Fat 3.91 g Moderate 5%
- Saturated Fat 1.71 g Moderate 9%
- Trans Fat 0.01 g High --
- Cholesterol 62.13 mg High 21%
- Sodium 56.96 mg Low Source 2%
- Dietary Fiber 1.41 g Low Source 5%
- Total Sugars 0.5 g --
- Added Sugars 0.42 g Low Source 1%
- Calcium 178.46 mg Moderate 14%
- Iron 5.13 mg Good Source 29%
- Potassium 486.07 mg Moderate 10%
- Vitamin A 56.57 mcg Low Source 6%
- Vitamin C 7.45 mg Low Source 8%
- Vitamin D 0.25 mcg Low Source 1%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Eggs 🥚
- Milk 🥛
- Sulfites
- Alcohol 🚫🍷
About This Recipe
Chef John's Classic Béarnaise with Tarragon and Capers is made with 11 ingredients and serves 8. It takes about 55 mins and is rated hard. Key ingredients include Black Pepper, Black Peppercorns, Capers, and Cayenne Pepper. Each serving provides about 99.35 kcal.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John's Classic Béarnaise with Tarragon and Capers made of?
- The main ingredients are Black Pepper, Black Peppercorns, Capers, Cayenne Pepper, Dried Tarragon. The full list of 11 is above.
- How long does it take to make Chef John's Classic Béarnaise with Tarragon and Capers?
- About 55 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 40 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 99.35 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John's Classic Béarnaise with Tarragon and Capers easy to make?
- This recipe is rated hard, with 11 ingredients and 3 steps.
- Is Chef John's Classic Béarnaise with Tarragon and Capers healthy?
- Chef John's Classic Béarnaise with Tarragon and Capers has an easyChef Pro health score of 47/100. Per serving, it provides 99.35 calories and 5.65 g of protein, or 11% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of iron. Worth noting per serving: saturated fat at 1.71 g (9% of the Daily Value). It contains Eggs, Milk, Sulfites and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
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