Beurre Blanc

[jglass]

I found a couple of recipes online for Beurre Blanc sauce.
Any tips before I try this recipe I found?

Basic Beurre Blanc

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped shallot
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

DIRECTIONS:
1.Place shallot, bay leaf, peppercorns, vinegar, and wine in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and continue simmering until only 2 tablespoons of liquid remain.
2.Pour in heavy cream and bring to a simmer; simmer until the cream has reduced by half. Increase heat to medium-high, and rapidly whisk in the butter, piece, by piece until it has melted into the cream and thickened it. Strain the sauce through a mesh strainer to remove the spices. Serve
immediately.

[KYHeirloomer]

Let us know how that works out, Janie.

Most butter sauces work a little differently than that recipe. You do all the preliminary work, then remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, a piece at a time, whisking it in well.

[Mama Mangia]

for some recipes for beurre blanc the instructions call for lowering the heat, then adding the butter one piece at a time, whisking until melted - also - make sure that once the butter has all been added you remove the pan from the heat


BEURRE BLANC WITHOUT CREAM

(makes 1 cup)

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/4 pound cold, unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper, preferably white, to taste


Combine the shallots, vinegar and wine in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by about one half. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes.

Return the saucepan to the heat and add the cubes of butter, a few at a time, stirring vigorously with a wire whisk. Continue adding the butter, beating constantly until the sauce is hot. Add salt and pepper.



Beurre Blanc au Moutarde


* 3/4 cup dry white wine
* 1/4 cup cider vinegar
* 6 white peppercorns,crushed
* 1 large shallot, very finely chopped
* 6 2-inch sprigs of fresh thyme
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks), chilled & cut into cubes
* 1 Tablespoons grainy mustard


1. Combine the wine, vinegar, peppercorns, shallot, thyme and bay leaf in a skillet (not nonstick) and simmer until almost dry.

2. Add the cream and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

3. Reduce the heat and add the butter a few pieces at a time, whisking continously.

4. Strain the sauce into a bowl. Add the mustard and season with some salt.

To serve:

Serve with salmon, chicken or pork.



Geneva Butter Sauce

A variation of the classic Beurre Blanc sauce that uses a reduction of red wine vinegar and red wine and is flavored with a bit of anchovy paste.


* 4 shallots, very finely chopped
* 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 cup dry red wine
* 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
* 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
* 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chervil
* 1-1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
* freshly ground pepper, to taste
* 3/4 cup unsalted butter


1. Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan, EXCEPT the butter.

2. Reduce over medium heat to 3 tablespoons.

3. Turn the heat down very low. Whisk in the butter tablespoon by tablespoon.

4. Strain into a warmed sauce boat.

To serve:

This is an excellent sauce for salmon.

[jglass]

Exactly what I needed Mama.
Thanks!

[Mama Mangia]

Enjoy dear! You'll make a fabulous sauce - I just know it!

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Buerre Blancs are typically mild, fragile, loose-emulsification sauces not meant to "gravy" a dish or even to "sauce" it, as most of us understand the term- rather, a buerre blanc is used to subtly drizzle to enhance an entree and impart quiet flavor to something.

Many feel buerre blancs are too touchy, too fickle, and over-rated. But I enjoy them a lot especially when just a whisper of something extra is needed.

Think of a buerre blanc in this 'sauce context', janie... The huge difference between store-bought mayonnaise and homemade mayo as far as thickness, heaviness and consistency? Well, you'll see about that degree of difference again between gentle burre blanc and most other typical suaces we most often use.

And as far as the mechanics behind making a buerre blanc? If you're familiar with the heavy wrist-action that the whisking of a hollandaise requires, making a buerre blanc genrally requires instead of heavy whisking- softer swirling of the handled-pan to incorporate whole butter loosely into other liquids forming a fragile emulsification.

Lastly, since buerre blancs are quite fragile, they don't typically hold up to time or temperature well (and defintiely not storing away and using as a leftover next day...). For restaurant service rather than made at the beginning of the night and held and served throughout the night's service as other sauces are, they're more typically prepared "to-order", "al a minute" one-by-one as single orders of an entree are being prepared ticket-by-ticket.

[jglass]

Thanks for the help.
I havent had the guts to try it yet but I will.

[Mama Mangia]

You have nothing to fear but fear itself!

You will make a great sauce - I know it! Don't let all the jibberish about it scare you!