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1
In a small heavy saucepan, cook the shallots slowly in the vinegar over medium-low heat until only 1 tablespoon of liquid remains, about 10 minutes.
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2
Remove the pan from the heat.
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3
Whisk in the butter 2 tablespoons at a time, waiting for each addition to melt before adding the next.
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4
The sauce will be warm and thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.
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5
Keep the sauce warm in a water bath (bain-marie) until ready to use.
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6
Variations
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7
In the early 70s, Paul Bocuse and other chefs abandoned hollandaise sauce, the butter sauce of the classic French kitchen, and started using beurre blanc exclusively.
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8
Variations developed, with wine being used in place of the vinegar.
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9
Even red wine was used to create a beurre rouge (red butter sauce).
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10
Beurre blanc soon became the mainstay of nouvelle cuisine, and is used today with fish, veal, chicken and vegetables.
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11
Beurre Blanc au Basilic (White Butter Sauce with Basil): Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil at the end of step
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12
Beurre Blanc a la Ciboulette (White Butter Sauce with Chives): Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped chives after step
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13
Beurre Blanc a lEstragan (White Butter Sauce with Tarragon): Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon at the end of step
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14
Beurre Blanc an Cresson (White Butter Sauce with Watercress PureE): Make a dry puree of watercress following step 1 of Pates Fraiches Veries (page 92), using only 1 bunch of watercress.
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15
Whisk in enough of the pureed watercress to lightly color the sauce.
