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Beurre blanc
Advanced Sauces and stocks
Beurre blanc is a tangy French butter sauce made by whisking cold butter into a reduced mix of wine, vinegar and shallot.
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How do you do it?
- Simmer 1/4 cup white wine, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar and 1 minced shallot until about 2 tablespoons remain.
- Turn the heat to low. Whisk in 1 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, a few pieces at a time.
- Add each batch as the last one melts into a creamy, pale sauce. Never let it bubble.
- Season with salt, strain if you like, and keep it warm, like a warm bath, until serving.
Why does it work?
Butter is already an emulsion of fat, water and milk solids. Melting it slowly into a small amount of acidic liquid keeps the milk proteins working as emulsifiers, so the fat stays in fine droplets. If the sauce gets hot, the emulsion collapses and the fat pools; if it cools, the butterfat solidifies and turns grainy.
What are the common mistakes?
- Letting it boil — the butter separates into clear oil.
- Using soft butter — it melts too fast and won't emulsify.
- Not reducing enough — too much liquid makes a thin, sharp sauce.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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