Beurre Blanc Sauce Recipe

Three seared scallops resting on beurre blanc sauce with a side of grilled asparagus on white plate

American Vinegar Works Beurre Blanc Sauce

Beurre Blanc is a classic French sauce that balances fat and acid in a lovely way and seems made for fish or asparagus.

The sauce is surprisingly easy and fast to pull together. With this version a bit of cream is added which lessens the chance of breaking the sauce.

We are suggesting simple grilled asparagus or scallops or a white fish to go with the sauce but you will find it a versatile paring for many dishes.

One important thing to note is that the sauce should be made immediately before serving and does not hold well. It comes together very quickly (less than 15 minutes) but does require your attention and needs to be timed with whatever you plan to serve with it.

This recipe features our Tarragon Wine Vinegar, opens in a new tab or Chardonnay Wine Vinegar, opens in a new tab.

 

Which vinegar to use, and why

Beurre blanc is a butter emulsion held together by acid. The vinegar is structural, not a seasoning, so use a clean white wine vinegar. We use Better Than Champagne Chardonnay Wine Vinegar here. It is slow-fermented and aged in oak at our mill in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is why it seasons the dish rather than just souring it.

Make it ahead and keep it

Beurre blanc does not reheat. Hold it warm, off direct heat, and make it last.

What to cook next

Try Panko Crusted Cod, or browse all our vinegar recipes. If you have not cooked with craft vinegar before, a mini bottle sampler set lets you taste across the range before committing to a full-size bottle. Orders over $85 ship free within the contiguous US.

Beurre Blanc Sauce

American Vinegar Works

Servings

Makes approx. 3/4 cup

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Cuisine

French

Category

Sauce

Beurre Blanc is a quintessential French "white butter" sauce that achieves a sublime balance between rich fat and bright acidity. While traditionally temperamental, this version uses a touch of heavy cream to stabilize the emulsion, making it much harder to "break". Infused with Tarragon Wine Vinegar, it is the perfect accompaniment for delicate white fish, seared scallops, or tender grilled asparagus.

Beurre Blanc Sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons finely minced shallot

  • 3 tablespoons Tarragon Vinegar (or Chardonnay Vinegar)

  • 3 tablespoons white wine

  • 1/3 cup of heavy cream

  • 1/8th teaspoon of salt

  • 1 stick of cold unsalted butter

  • White pepper—two turns of the mill (optional)

Directions

  1. Combine shallots, vinegar, and white wine in small sauce pan.

  2. Boil on high heat, stirring occasionally until only half or less (about 2 tablespoons) of the liquid is left. This should take about 4 minutes depending on your stove top.

  3. Lower heat to a medium flame and add heavy cream, salt, and white pepper.  Stir with a whisk and let cook for about 1 minute allowing for a little bit more evaporation.

  4. Cut your stick of butter into about 5 or 6 cubes. Adjust the heat to the low setting and add in the butter a cube at a time. Stir/whisk constantly until incorporated. Repeat until all the butter is incorporated.  Shut flame once the last cube has been incorporated. 

  5. Adjust salt and pepper if needed but remember that the sauce flavor will “exist” as a composed dish that blends with the seasoning of your chosen accompaniment (e.g. if your fish is salted you may not need to add additional salt to the sauce beyond what you have already put in).

  6. Strain sauce to separate out the shallots.  It will make for a more elegant looking sauce.  I like to keep and then add some of the shallots on top of the protein both for texture and the nice acid kick they provide.

  7. Plate right away by spooning a small amount of sauce onto a plate and placing the protein or vegetable on top.  This is a rich sauce so a little goes a long way.   Also, please note the sauce will not keep well and may split if you reheat it so try to time it to use right away.