Chef Johns Bearnaise Sauce Food

CHEF JOHN'S BEARNAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Place 1 cup tarragon, shallots, and peppercorns in a saucepan. Pour in white wine vinegar, white wine, and water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer; stir. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and reduce liquid to about 3 tablespoons, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer, pressing vegetable/herb mixture to extract as much liquid as possible.
• Place 1/4 cup chopped tarragon and capers in a mortar. Mash with a pestle about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon cold butter. Mash and pound with pestle until ingredients are thoroughly combined in a solid mass. Transfer to a piece of plastic wrap; wrap and chill.
• Place egg yolks in a stainless steel (flameproof) mixing bowl; add 3 tablespoons tarragon/shallot reduction; whisk together. Add cold butter cubes. Place bowl over low to medium heat whisking constantly until sauce thickens, as you hold the bowl with a kitchen towel. After butter melts continue whisking; mixture will turn a lighter yellow color after 8 to 10 minutes. When mixture is nice and thick, reduce heat to low and stir in compound butter broken into chunks. Continue whisking. Remove from heat. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.

CHEF JOHN'S BUTTERLESS BEARNAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk egg yolks, black pepper, tarragon Dijon mustard, tarragon vinegar, water, and salt in a metal mixing bowl or small saucepan. Place over low heat and whisk until mixture foams, small wisps of steam appear from the sauce, and sauce is hot and thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Raise and lower the pan over the heat to increase or reduce heat.
• Remove from heat and whisk a few more seconds to make sauce slightly fluffy. Serve immediately.

SAUCE BEARNAISE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, gently melt the butter, over low heat, and bring to a simmer. As the butter is gently simmering, skim off the froth that accumulates on the surface of the butter. Simmer the butter for about 15 minutes, cool and ladle off the clear butterfat, leaving any milk solids in the bottom of the pan. This is clarified butter! Wow-who knew?
• In a small saute pan combine the vinegar, white wine, peppercorns and shallots. Cook over medium heat until the liquid has almost all evaporated. Remove from the heat, add 1 large ice cube and let it melt. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a medium-sized metal bowl. Add the 3 egg yolks and whisk vigorously to combine.
• Put the metal bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Whisk the eggs until fluffy, about 5 minutes. While whisking slowly drizzle in the clarified butter. Start with a couple drops at a time. If the eggs seem to be cooking too quickly, remove the saucepan from the heat. The idea of what is going on here, is that the eggs are being cooked ever so gently into a frothy, foamy deliciousness, not a scrambled curdled mess. Once all of the butter has been whisked in, add the fresh tarragon, and a pinch of cayenne. Season with kosher salt, to taste.
• The sauce should be very full flavored, foamy and delightfully yellow. Serve on a big fat steak and call yourself a superstar!

CLASSIC FRENCH BEARNAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• Tie the peppercorns and 2 tarragon sprigs in cheesecloth and secure with butcher's twine to make a sachet. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, shallots and sachet and simmer over low heat until the liquid is evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool; discard the sachet.
• In a medium bowl set over a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks and lemon juice. Heat, whisking constantly, until the yolks are pale and slightly thickened. Slowly ladle in the clarified butter, whisking constantly, until the sauce is emulsified. If sauce looks like it is getting too thick, add water by the tablespoon until you reach the desired consistency. Remove from the heat and add the chopped tarragon and 1 tablespoon of the shallots. Season with salt and pepper.

TYLER FLORENCE'S VEAL OSCAR WITH BEARNAISE SAUCE

Steps:

• First, make bearnaise sauce.
• In a small saucepan, combine the tarragon, shallots, vinegar and wine over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Place a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan containing simmering water, or use a double boiler.
• Whisk the egg yolks in the bowl until doubled in volume; slowly add the melted butter, continue beating until sauce is thickened.
• Stir in reserved shallot reduction.
• Season with salt and pepper, set aside wrapped in a warm spot (makes one cup).
• Now, make veal.
• Blanch asparagus tips in simmering water, drain and set aside.
• Poach crab legs in water, white wine and lemon slices for 5 minutes, then shell with a crab cracker and reserve meat.
• In a shallow dish combine flour, salt and pepper; coat pieces of veal.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp of butter and fry cutlets 3 minutes each side until golden brown; remove the veal to a warm platter.
• Using the same pan, melt remaining butter, then stir in shallots and tarragon.
• Add olive oil, asparagus and crab.
• Saute 2 minutes to warm.
• To serve: place asparagus and crab on top of each cutlet; drizzle each with sauce, and serve hot.