Best Beurre Nantais Herb Butter Sauce Recipes

BEURRE BLANC (CLASSIC FRENCH BUTTER SAUCE)

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and add the shallots. Cook briefly, stirring, and add the vinegar and wine. Cook until the liquid is almost totally reduced.
• Add the heavy cream and salt and bring to the boil. Add the pieces of butter, a few at a time, stirring rapidly with a wire whisk.

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 NANTAIS

Steps:

• Cut butter into small pieces and chill.
• In a small heavy saucepan simmer wine, vinegar, and shallot over moderate heat until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 5 minutes.
• Add cream and simmer mixture until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Gradually add butter a few pieces at a time, whisking and adding more before previous pieces are fully incorporated (mixture will be creamy and pale).
• Remove pan from heat and pour sauce through a fine sieve into a sauceboat, pressing on solids.
• Season sauce with lemon juice and salt and pepper.
• Serve sauce immediately.

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.

WHITE BUTTER SAUCE WITH CREAM BEURRE NANTAIS

Steps:

• Cut butter into small pieces and chill. In a small heavy saucepan simmer wine, vinegar, and shallot over moderate heat until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 5 minutes. Add cream and simmer mixture until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually add butter a few pieces at a time, whisking and adding more before previous pieces are fully incorporated (mixture will be creamy and pale). Remove pan from heat and pour sauce through a fine sieve into a sauceboat, pressing on solids. Season sauce with lemon juice and salt and pepper.
• Serve sauce 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.