Easy Beurre Blanc Sauce

One of the most popular Sauces to pair with Fish is this classic French Butter sauce known as ‘Beurre Blanc’. This silky-smooth sauce is a luxurious pairing for Fish that provides a subtle flavor of Butter and White Wine. It compliments Seafood perfectly without overpowering it. In this recipe we will show you how to make an Easy Beurre Blanc Sauce that anyone can make at home, recreating a classic French plate of food that would be at home at any fine dining French restaurant

The process of making a Beurre Blanc involves ‘emulsifying’ the Butter

This Sauce may be seen as challenging to some folks as it’s a level-up in terms of Sauce making at home compared to simpler sauces where you simply combine a few ingredients and it’s done. That’s not to say this isn’t a simple Sauce to prepare, and in this recipe, we’ll show you the easiest way to make it

The Sauce requires slowly adding Butter to a Wine and Vinegar mixture using a process known as emulsification, which simply put means to combine liquids that don’t typically go together. Successfully emulsifying Butter with Wine and Vinegar will result in a beautifully smooth and luxurious Sauce

The key to emulsifying the Butter in a Beurre Blanc is following a few classic steps

Step 1

Don’t add all the Butter at once, instead add it slowly over time. For this recipe we’ll use about 200g of Butter, which may seem like a lot (and it is!) But we’re making enough Sauce for 4 people

To properly prepare the Butter, you will need to first cut the block of Butter into cubes, so it can be added in small quantities to the pan. I recommend cutting the Butter into pieces that are about the size as a dice

Step 2

Ensure that the Butter is nice and cold before it’s added to the pan. This step aids in the process as the goal is to very slowly heat the Butter as it’s mixed with the Wine and Vinegar. To achieve this all you’ll need to do is keep the Butter in the fridge before it’s added to the sauce

What I like to do is cut the Butter into cubes and then place it into a bowl. Then, whack it straight back into the refrigerator. Once it’s time to add the Butter, you simply remove it from the fridge and start mixing it into the pan

Step 3

Slowly add the Butter over a low heat. Then, make sure you are constantly stirring the pan to keep the Butter moving. This step in the emulsification process helps to avoid the Butter staying stagnant or getting too hot, which will ultimately lead to the sauce breaking

Slowly adding the Butter over a low heat and stirring constantly using a whisk is the best process for a smooth emulsification for our Easy Beurre Blanc Sauce. Even with the pan set over low heat, the temperature in the pan will continue to increase, so at times we recommend taking the pan completely off the heat to best regular the temperature

This Pan Fried Cod recipe is one of many delicious meals you can make with our Easy Beurre Blanc recipe

Finishing your Beurre Blanc Sauce ready for serving

With the Butter now fully emulsified into the dish you now have a Beurre Blanc, congratulations! This Sauce is best served immediately. So, if possible, I would recommend you prepare the Beurre Blanc as the last component of your cooking

This may be challenging sometimes as likely there’s a few other components you’re making alongside the sauce. So, if you’re looking to pan fry some Fish to pair with our Easy Beurre Blanc Sauce you can either prepare the fish in advance, or keep the Sauce warm while you cook the Fish

I’d recommend the latter, as it’s a bit easier to manage. To do so you want to keep the Butter in the saucepan over a very low heat. Even this may be too hot, so I’d recommend constantly stirring it and removing it from the heat every few minutes or so to equalize the temperature in the pot

Should you strain the Shallots from a Beurre Blanc before serving?

Personally, I recommend keeping the Shallots in the sauce for home cooking. Think about it, the dish involves slowly infusing Shallots with the flavor of Whtie Wine and Vinegar before the Butter is added, so why would you remove the very flavor that you’ve spent time creating?

Most fine dining restaurants will strain their Beurre Blanc before serving, producing a beautiful silky looking Sauce. We even did that for some photos here because we’re taking food photography and want it to look nice. However, for flavors sake I recommend keeping those Shallots in the Sauce, it just tastes better!

Add a few ingredients to the Beurre Blanc to make this wonderful Butter Tartare Sauce for our amazing Red Snapper with Butter Tartare Sauce recipe

What food does this Easy Beurre Blanc Sauce pair with?

Naturally the best pairing is with Seafood, and there are so many great options. The classic preparation is a nice piece of grilled White Fish with a generous smothering of Beurre Blanc served on the side, or drizzled straight on top of the Fish

Personally, I found that this Sauce tastes amazing with some crispy Potatoes. Try roasting up some delicious Potatoes and pairing them with a Beurre Blanc and you’ll be enjoying a delicious bite of food

You can make some alterations to the Beurre Blanc too. By adding some Capers, Pickles, and Herbs you can make a wonderful Beurre Blanc Tartar Sauce. Try adding some Fish Stock for a delicious Fish Stock Beurre Blanc. It’s endless the possibilities you can create by using our Easy Beurre Blanc Sauce as a base

Easy Beurre Blanc Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 200g Cold Unsalted Butter
• 1 large Shallot, finely diced
• 3 tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
• ⅓ cup of White Wine
• A pinch of Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Cut the butter into dice-sized cubes and set aside, preferably in the refrigerator to keep them as cold as you can
2. Place the Shallots, Vinegar, and White Wine in a saucepan over medium heat and cook while stirring frequently until the liquid has almost completely dissolved into the Shallots (about 6 – 7 minutes should do it)
3. Drop the heat to low and add 3 cubes of the cold Butter and whisk constantly until the butter slowly dissolves. Avoid the Butter melting too fast, so if needed remove the pan from the heat entirely while you keep whisking
4. Once the Butter has completely melted, continue adding 2 – 3 pieces of Butter into the pot while whisking until all Butter has dissolved. Repeat until all the Butter has been added. Season to taste
5. For best results, serve immediately. You can also keep the Butter over a very low heat, stirring occasionally while you prepare other food to serve with the Beurre Blanc
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can use regular White Vinegar instead of White Wine Vinegar
• For our recipe we used a Sauvignon Blanc, but you can use any type of White Wine you prefer
• Beurre Blanc doesn’t store well in the refrigerator, so it’s recommended to only prepare this sauce right before you plan on eating it
• This recipe will create about 1 cup of Sauce, enough to serve 4 people
  
  

Our Easy Beurre Blanc Sauce recipe is a great way to enjoy this classic French Butter Sauce without any hassles at all. The Sauce is such a wonderful pairing for Seafood, so get your hands on a good quality piece of Fish and simply pan fry it alongside this Sauce for a restaurant-quality dish that’s easy to make at home

If you enjoy this Sauce, then we’ve got plenty other delicious recipes just like it. Try these wonderful Sauce recipes of ours:

• Mustard Pickle Sauce
• Zhoug Sauce (Green Chili Sauce)
• Easy Bordelaise Sauce
• Mustard Velouté Sauce
  
  

Happy Cooking!