Bearnaise Grammas Recipes

Steps:

• Place butter in a medium glass bowl, and melt in the microwave, about 30 seconds on High. Whisk in the onion, white wine vinegar, egg yolks, heavy cream and lemon juice. Season with tarragon, parsley, salt, mustard powder and cayenne pepper; mix well.
• Return to the microwave, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, or until thickened, stirring until smooth every 20 to 30 seconds.

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper; stir to coat. Stir in vinegar, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until vinegar is evaporated, 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking shallots, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer shallot reduction to a small bowl and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, fill a blender with hot water to warm it; set aside. Melt remaining 1 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is foamy. Transfer butter to a measuring cup.
• Drain blender and dry well. Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in warm, dry blender. Purée mixture until smooth. Remove lid insert. With blender running, slowly pour in hot butter in a thin stream of droplets, discarding milk solids at bottom of measuring cup. Continue blending until a smooth, creamy sauce forms, 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce into a medium bowl. Stir in shallot reduction and tarragon and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Steps:

• Put the vinegar, shallots, black pepper and 1 tablespoon of tarragon leaves into a small saucepan, and set over a medium flame. Bring just to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer until there are only a few tablespoons of liquid left, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
• Fill a small saucepan with an inch or two of water, and set over medium-high heat to boil.
• Put the cooled shallot-and-tarragon mixture into a metal mixing bowl along with a tablespoon of water and the egg yolks, then whisk to combine.
• Turn the heat under the saucepan of water down to its lowest setting, and put the bowl on top of the pan, making sure that it does not touch the water directly. Continue to whisk the yolks until they thicken, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. You should just about double the volume of the yolks.
• Slowly beat in the butter, a tablespoon or two at a time, whisking slowly to combine and emulsify. Remove the bowl from the pan occasionally, so as not to overcook the eggs, and taste the sauce. Season with salt. If the flavor is not sharp enough, add a splash of lemon juice. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of hot water. Add the remaining teaspoon of tarragon leaves, and serve.

Steps:

• In a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive 9- or 10-inch skillet over medium heat, bring the vinegar, wine, shallots, tarragon, pepper and salt to a simmer, and cook until the liquid has reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
• In a small bowl, beat egg yolks until they become thick and sticky, about 1 minute. Strain the vinegar mixture into the egg yolks and beat until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of cold butter, but do not beat it in.
• Scrape egg mixture back into skillet, and place it over very low heat. Stir egg yolks with a wire whisk until they slowly thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in remaining tablespoon of cold butter, then beat in melted butter in a slow, steady stream until sauce thickens; consistency should be like mayonnaise. Taste and correct seasoning, and beat in parsley. Serve the sauce warm, not hot. It will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Steps:

• Put the egg yolks in a mini food processor and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne, then add the vinegar.
• Finely chop the tarragon stalks and leaves separately. Melt the butter in a pan then add the chopped tarragon stalks and bring it to a simmer - the butter needs to be hot so that it will cook the egg yolks slightly.
• Turn the processor on and add the hot melted butter slowly while the processor is running. Once all the butter has been added and the mixture is smooth and thick, pour it into a bowl and stir through the tarragon leaves. Season and serve with steak.