Hollandaise's worldly sibling: the same silken emulsion sharpened with a tarragon-shallot vinegar reduction. The greatest steak sauce ever codified.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
3
🥚 Eggs ›
yolks only
175 g
🧈 Butter ›
melted, warm
3 tbsp
🍶 White Wine Vinegar ›
1
🧅 Shallot ›
minced
3 sprigs
🌿 Tarragon ›
leaves chopped, stems reserved
1 tsp
⚫ Whole Black Peppercorns ›
cracked
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
10m
Prep
15m
Cook
25m
Total
—
Serves
Yield: About 250 ml
Equipment
Small saucepan
Whisk
Prep checklist
Eggs — yolks only
Butter — melted, warm
Shallot — minced
Tarragon — leaves chopped, stems reserved
Whole Black Peppercorns — cracked
3 steps
Method
1
Simmer vinegar, shallot, tarragon stems, and peppercorns until reduced to a scant tablespoon, 3–4 minutes. Strain and cool slightly.
💡
This reduction IS béarnaise — it carries the perfume. Don't reduce it to nothing; you need that concentrated spoonful.
2
Whisk the yolks with the reduction over barely simmering water until pale and ribboning, 2–3 minutes.
3
Off the heat, stream in warm butter, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy. Fold in the chopped tarragon leaves and season.
Learn the technique ›
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Airtight jar in the fridge, 3–5 days. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of starch-thickened sauces to stop a skin forming.
Freezing
Most sauces freeze 2–3 months; freeze in ice-cube trays for single portions. Emulsified butter/egg sauces don't freeze — they break on thawing.
Reheating
Reheat gently over low heat, whisking; butter- and egg-based sauces split when boiled. Loosen with a spoonful of warm water or stock.
Make ahead
Most sauces keep 3–5 days refrigerated and freeze in ice-cube trays for instant single portions. Emulsified butter sauces are best made within the hour.
Wine pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
Beer pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
·
Filet mignon or ribeye
·
Steak frites
·
Grilled salmon, unexpectedly
Garnish
A final swirl of butter or oil
Fresh herbs
Taste map
Flavor profile
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Umami
Heat
Per serving
Nutrition
270
kcal
2g
protein
1g
carbs
29g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
When it goes sideways
Troubleshooting
The sauce broke into oily puddles. Too much fat too fast, or too much heat. Whisk a tablespoon of warm water in a clean bowl and beat the broken sauce into it a spoonful at a time — you're starting a new emulsion and feeding it the old one.
It's too thick. Thickness means crowded, not broken — loosen with warm water a teaspoon at a time.