Best Beurre Blanc Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Place wine, lemon juice, cream, shallots, and cream in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and let simmer until liquid is reduced by about 75%, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and whisk in about 2 cubes of butter. Keep butter moving until it melts. When melted, add a few more cubes, whisking continuously so butter emulsifies into the wine/lemon juice mixture.
• Continue to add butter, a few cubes at a time until all of it has been incorporated and the sauce has a thick, luxurious texture, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste for seasonings and add a pinch of salt and cayenne, if desired. Serve immediately.

BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• In small saucepan, combine shallots, wine, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 10 minutes.
• Turn down heat to lowest possible flame. Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, adding a piece as previous one melts. Don't allow sauce to become too hot. For a more smooth sauce, strain through a fine sieve, if desired.
• Season with salt and pepper and keep over a bain-marie. Just before serving, stir in herbs.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH SAUTEED WILD MUSHROOMS, FRESH HERB SALAD, AND ROASTED GARLIC BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Beurre Blanc: Combine the shallots, lemon juice, wine, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaves, and roasted garlic in a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil and reduce until almost dry, leaving about 1/8 cup. Reduce heat to low and add the cream. Begin adding the butter, 1 cube at a time, whisking continuously. As each cube incorporates into the sauce, add another until all butter has been added. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. If you feel that the sauce is too acidic, add a bit of honey to balance the flavor. Be sure to use only a small amount of honey so as not to make the sauce taste too sweet. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Mushrooms: Place a saute pan over high heat and add enough canola oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Allow the pan to preheat until you just begin to see light wisps of smoke coming from the pan. Add the mushrooms and begin to saute until the mushrooms are cooked halfway. Add the garlic and shallots to the pan and continue to saute, keeping the mushrooms moving at all times. When the mushrooms are just cooked through add the fresh herbs to the pan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Taste the mushrooms and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Cover and keep warm while you saute the scallops.
• Scallops: In a bowl, toss the sea scallops lightly in 1/2 cup canola oil. Season each scallop evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Put a saute pan that is large enough to hold the scallops in 1 layer without them touching over high heat. Add enough canola oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Allow the pan to preheat until you begin to see light wisps of smoke coming from the oil. Add the scallops to the pan carefully and allow them to get a deep golden brown color. Turn the scallops and allow the second side to get the same golden brown color. If you want the scallops to be more cooked, place the scallops in a preheated 350 degree F oven until they reach the desired doneness. Serve with mushrooms and drizzle with buerre blanc sauce.

CLASSIC BEURRE BLANC: WHITE BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine vinegar, wine, shallots, lemon, and bay leaves to make an infusion. Simmer over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until the mixture is reduced to a wet paste, about 2 tablespoons. Add the cream and continue to simmer until reduced again to about 2 tablespoons. Cream is added to make the sauce more stable and less likely to separate.
• Reduce the heat to low and remove the bay leaves. Whisk in the chunks of butter in small batches. The butter should melt without the sauce getting too hot, producing a creamy emulsified sauce. Do not let the sauce go over 130 degrees F, where it will separate. If the sauce starts to break, remove from heat, add 2 ice cubes and whisk until it cools down and comes back together. Season with salt and pepper, fold in the chives, and serve immediately. Keep covered in a warm place for a few hours, if needed.
• Serve with fish or vegetables.

RAYMOND BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Combine the shallots, white wine, and lemon juice in a non-reactive saucepan over high heat and reduce to 2 tablespoons.
• Add the cream to the reduction. Once the liquid bubbles, reduce the heat to low. Add the butter, one cube at a time, whisking first on the heat and then off the heat. Continue whisking butter into the reduction until the mixture is fully emulsified and has reached a rich sauce consistency. Season with salt and white pepper. Store beurre blanc in a thermos until ready to serve.

PAN-SEARED ROCKFISH WITH LEMON BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Prepare the lemon beurre blanc sauce by combining the lemon juice, wine and cream in a 1-quart saucepan and simmering on medium heat until reduced by half the volume. Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge fish fillets in flour and saute in the hot skillet until golden brown. Remove fish from heat and let rest. When the sauce has thickened, slowly whisk in the butter. Place fish on platter, and drizzle sauce around and over the fish to serve.

BASIC BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH GARLIC BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• In large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Cook scallops in butter about 5 minutes, turning once, until golden brown on outside and white and opaque inside. Remove scallops to serving plate; cover to keep warm.
• Add garlic, shallot, wine and vinegar to skillet, stirring to loosen brown particles. Cook until liquid is reduced to less than half. Reduce heat to low; add 4 tablespoons butter. Cook and stir until butter is melted. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter; cook and stir until sauce is thickened and creamy.
• Press sauce through fine strainer; discard solids. Pour sauce over scallops. Serve immediately.

MACADAMIA-CRUSTED MAHI MAHI WITH COCONUT "BEURRE BLANC"

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, shallot, ginger and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in butter., Pat fish dry; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. , In a small bowl, combine the orange zest, juice, ginger, garlic powder and cumin. Spoon over fish. Let stand for 10 minutes. Combine the bread crumbs, nuts and oil; mound onto each fillet., Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 14-16 minutes or until fish just turns opaque and crumb mixture is golden brown. Cover loosely with foil if crust browns too quickly. Serve with sauce.

WHITE BUTTER SAUCE: BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• In a 1 1/2 quart saucepan combine vinegar, wine, shallots, salt and white pepper and bring to a simmer.
• Gently simmer liquid until reduced to 1 1/2 tablespoons. Remove from heat and immediately swirl or whisk in 2 pieces of chilled butter. As the butter is incorporated into the liquid add another piece and continue to swirl or whisk. Return pan to low heat and while constantly swirling or whisking add successive pieces of butter. When all of the butter has been added remove from heat. Sauce will be thick and creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately. To hold the sauce, set the pan in a larger pan of lukewarm water. If the sauce separates, transfer a spoonful of the sauce to a cold mixing bowl and gradually whisk the rest of the sauce in by the spoonful. The sauce can be reheated by gradually whisking 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot liquid, i.e. water, cream or stock.

SOLE-WRAPPED ASPARAGUS WITH TANGERINE BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Prepare fish:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Brush a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan with some of melted butter, then sprinkle shallot and zest in pan.
• Trim asparagus to about 7 inches long, then peel spears starting from 2 inches below tip of each.
• Arrange fish fillets, skinned sides up, on a work surface and season with salt and pepper. Lay 5 or 6 asparagus perpendicularly across 1 fillet and wrap fish around them to make a bundle. Repeat with remaining fillets and asparagus. Transfer bundles, seam sides down, to roasting pan and brush fish with remaining melted butter. Season with salt and pepper, then add water to pan. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake until fish is just cooked through and asparagus is crisp-tender, about 20 minutes.
• Make beurre blanc while fish bakes:
• Boil tangerine juice with shallot in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low, then whisk in 1 tablespoon butter, whisking constantly. Add remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly, adding each piece before previous one has completely melted, and lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool mixture. Remove from heat and stir in salt, cayenne, and lemon juice.
• Transfer fish with a slotted spatula to a platter and reserve pan juices. Cover fish with foil. Discard zest, then pour pan juices into a 10-inch skillet and boil over moderately high heat until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk into beurre blanc.
• Blot any liquid accumulated on platter with paper towels, then spoon sauce over fish.

PETRALE SOLE WITH MEYER LEMON BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• On a surface covered with plastic wrap, scatter about 1/2 c flour; dip the fillet pieces lightly in the flour, sprinkle with a little salt & pepper & set aside.
• In a frying pan, heat 2 T of butter over medium-high heat; when foaming, add the fish, a few at a time, uncrowded. Saute until golden, about 1 minute, turn & fry the other side another minute; remove to a plate & keep warm until all are completed.
• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the Meyer lemon juice & zest; add the cream & bring to a boil. Remove from the heat & add the remaining 6 T of butter, one at a time, whisking to melt.
• Arrange the fish on a platter or 4 individual plates & drizzle with sauce; serve immediately.

SEA SCALLOPS WITH CILANTRO GREMOLATA AND GINGER LIME BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Make gremolata:
• Stir together cilantro, garlic, and zest in a small bowl.
• Make beurre blanc:
• Simmer shallot and ginger in lime juice and wine in a small heavy saucepan until liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons.
• Whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time, adding each new piece before previous one has completely melted and occasionally lifting pan from heat to cool mixture. (Sauce must not get too hot or it will separate.) Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl (discard solids), then return to cleaned pan. Season with salt and white pepper and keep warm while cooking scallops.
• Sauté scallops:
• Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté scallops, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes total.
• Sprinkle scallops with gremolata and serve with sauce.

CANNELLINI-BEAN PASTA WITH BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Add the beans and stock to a large pot, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
• While the beans cook, combine the wine, vinegar, shallot and butter in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan as the liquid reduces to keep it from burning. Turn off the heat, and set the beurre blanc aside.
• Stir the pasta into the beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through, about 10 more minutes. Stir in the beurre blanc, and season generously with salt and pepper. Serve with a little grated cheese on top.

ASPARAGUS WRAPPED IN PROSCIUTTO WITH BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Remove the woody ends of the asparagus spears trimming the spears to the same length.
• Bundle 3 asparagus stalks together and wrap each grouping with one slice of prosciutto, leaving the tips exposed. Drizzle the bundles with olive oil.
• Roast the bundles for 10 minutes, or until the asparagus ends and the prosciutto slices are crisp.
• Drizzle each prosciutto-wrapped asparagus bundle with the prepared beurre blanc and serve.
• Bring the shallots, vinegar, and wine to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until the liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 5 minutes.
• Add the cream, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in a few tablespoons butter. Continue to whisk and add a few pieces at a time of the remaining butter. Wait until each addition is incorporated before adding more butter. The sauce should remain warm, but never hot or the sauce will break.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and season with salt, and pepper, to taste. If desired, strain the sauce through a sieve to remove the shallot. Discard the shallot. Serve the sauce immediately.
• Beurre Rouge: Replace the white wine in the original recipe with red wine and the white wine vinegar with red wine vinegar.
• Beurre Citron: Replace the vinegar and wine in the original recipe with 1/4 cup citrus (lemon, lime, and/or orange) juice and add 1 teaspoon citrus zest.
• Lime-Ginger: Replace the vinegar in the original recipe with an equal amount of lime juice and add 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger.
• Saffron: Add a pinch saffron threads to the reduction.

FLOUNDER FILLETS IN A BEURRE BLANC SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to low. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together and dip the fillets in the mixture to coat both sides. Shake off excess. Heat a large skillet very hot, add the clarified butter and when it is very hot fry the fillets quickly, turning once, until golden brown on both sides (about 2 minutes). Remove fillets to dinner plates and keep warm in the oven.
• Pour off any remaining clarified butter or oil from the skillet, add the wine, lemon juice and shallots and boil hard over high heat until reduced to about 1/8 cup. Add the cream and boil until reduced once again to about 1/4 cup. Lower the heat and vigorously whisk in the unsalted butter bit by bit, incorporating each piece almost completely before adding the next. As the last piece disappears, remove the pan from the heat. Do not boil the sauce after all the butter is in. 3.
• Spoon a small amount of the sauce over the fillets in the oven, return the skillet to the heat, add the chopped pasta and toss with the rest of the sauce until heated through. Spoon the pasta onto the dinner plates and serve with a tossed salad.

MARINATED SHRIMP WITH CHAMPAGNE BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• For sauce base:
• Combine Champagne, shallots, vinegar, and peppercorns in heavy medium saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup liquid, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
• For shrimp:
• Combine Champagne, olive oil, shallots, and ground pepper in resealable plastic bag. Add shrimp to bag and seal; shake bag to coat shrimp evenly. Marinate shrimp at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, turning bag occasionally. Mix chives, tarragon, and parsley in small bowl.
• Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Drain shrimp; discard plastic bag with marinade. Arrange shrimp on prepared pan in single layer. Broil shrimp until just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Stand 3 shrimp, tails upright, in center of each plate.
• Rewarm sauce base over medium-low heat. Whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, just allowing each to melt before adding next (do not boil or sauce will separate). Season beurre blanc to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spoon warm sauce around shrimp. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve.

HALIBUT WITH GRAPEFRUIT BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Make beurre blanc:
• Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest from a grapefruit. Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from a white grapefruit.
• Cut peel, including all white pith, from remaining fruit with a sharp paring knife and cut segments free from membranes. Chop enough grapefruit segments (use all colors) to measure 1/2 cup. Reserve 1 cup of remaining whole segments.
• Boil juice, wine, shallot, and vinegar in a small heavy saucepan until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter 1 piece at a time, lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool sauce and adding each new piece of butter before previous one has melted completely (sauce must not get hot enough to separate).
• Stir in chopped grapefruit and season with salt and pepper. Keep beurre blanc warm in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of hot water.
• Cook fish and vegetables:
• Preheat oven to 250°F. Pat halibut dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté fish, in batches if necessary, turning over once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer fish to a shallow baking pan and keep warm in oven.
• Wipe skillet clean and heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste, stirring, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add endives and sauté, stirring, until leaves are slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in reserved whole grapefruit segments and remove from heat.
• Serve fish over mushrooms, topped with beurre blanc and zest.

LEMONGRASS BUTTER SAUCE (BEURRE BLANC)

Steps:

• Heat oil in nonstick pan. Over low heat, saute leek, shallots, garlic, mushrooms, lemon grass and lime leaf. Cook for a few minutes, stopping before ingredients begin to take on color. Add wine, bring to a boil and reduce by two-thirds. Add fish stock and reduce by two-thirds.
• Add cream, and simmer for 10 minutes; strain sauce. Clean pot or use fresh one. Return strained sauce to pot, and return to heat. Add a tablespoon of butter at a time to lightly boiling sauce, whisking until butter is incorporated. Season with cayenne, and serve over won tons.

STUFFED SALMON WITH CRAB AND SHRIMP - BEURRE BLANC SAUCE

Steps:

• FOR BEURRE BLANC SAUCE: Combine wine, vinegar, peppercorns and shallot into a saucepan. Reduce until the mixture is about 1 - 2 tablespoons and has a syrupy consistency. Add the cream and reduce again until the mixture is about 3 - 4 tablespoons. Remove the pan from heat. Add the butter pieces, stirring and allowing it to melt. Strain and hold warm on stove until salmon is ready. FOR SALMON: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Split the salmon lengthwise to form a pocket for stuffing. Combine the crab, shrimp, brie, salt, pepper and dill. Gently blend the mayo to bind the mixture. Divide the stuffing mixture between the four pocketed fillets. When full, let the flaps cover the stuffing so that only a small amount is exposed. Bake in a lightly buttered baking dish for about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to dinner plates and spoon Beurre Blanc over the fist.