Did you know that many shop-bought packet mixes for Bearnaise Sauce contain wheat flour? Luckily, making your own Gluten Free Béarnaise Sauce at home is not as difficult as you think! This rich, creamy sauce is a must-know recipe for home cooks looking to elevate a special occasion meal. This French classic adds a luxurious touch to steak, seafood, and roasted vegetables-all without hidden gluten!
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Here's what happened. I was looking to make a Bearnaise sauce to go with steak for when my in-laws, who avoid gluten, were visiting. And I faced two issues:
- All sauces and dry packet mixes I saw in the supermarkets had gluten in them.
- Many recipes online included chervil, which I could not find anywhere in North Wales in the middle of winter!
So I had to come up with my own Chervil- and Gluten-Free Bearnaise Sauce recipe. It's a good one...
What Is Béarnaise Sauce?
Béarnaise sauce is a rich, classic sauce that hails from France, made with egg yolks, butter, and a reduction of fresh tarragon, shallots, white wine vinegar, and lemon juice (and sometimes chervil). It's a perfect accompaniment to steaks, fish, and vegetables. Its distinct authentic flavour comes from the tarragon.
What's The Difference Between Hollandaise Sauce and Bearnaise Sauce?Béarnaise sauce is made with shallots, vinegar, black pepper and fresh tarragon, whilst Hollandaise is traditionally made with lemon juice and seasoned with white pepper and a little cayenne pepper. If Hollandaise is considered a mother sauce (one of five) of French cuisine, Bearnaise can be seen as a tangier "child" variation of it.
Ingredient Notes
- white wine vinegar.
- lemon juice: may be replaced with more white wine vinegar, if you don't have any lemon handy.
- tarragon: leaves stripped, herb stems discarded. You may replace up to ⅓ of tarragon with chervil.
- shallots: we used Echalion shallots (a.k.a. Banana Shallots), but regular shallots are great too.
- egg yolks: from large eggs.
- unsalted butter: melted.
- salt and black pepper.
Find the ingredient quantities, detailed instructions and nutritional information in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-By-Step Method
STEP 1: Vinegar Reduction
Place the sliced shallots, half of the chopped tarragon, vinegar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Once bubbling around the edges, cook the mixture for approximately 4-5 minutes, until reduced by half.
Strain the shallot reduction through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down with the back of the spoon. Allow the liquid to cool down. Discard the solids. You should have no more than 2 tablespoons of liquid.
STEP 2: Clarified Butter
In the meantime, melt the butter over low heat in a separate saucepan. Once melted, transfer butter into a small jug, and leave undisturbed. The milk solids should sink to the bottom. Keep it in a warm place - you don't want the butter to solidify!
STEP 3: Bearnaise Sauce
Place a heatproof bowl over a bain-marie (a.k.a. double boiler, a pot with boiling water - make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water) set over low-medium heat.
Beat the egg yolks and the cooled down vinegar reduction in the bowl over the bain-marie until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Then remove it from the heat and gradually pour in the melted butter, whisking vigorously and continuously. Leave out the milk solids at the bottom of the jug. Whisk your bearnaise sauce until the butter is well combined into the egg yolk mixture and the sauce looks smooth and glossy.
Finally, stir in the rest of the tarragon, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Troubleshooting Split Bearnaise Sauce
If your Béarnaise sauce splits, it's usually due to one of a few common issues.
1. If your eggs get too hot and start to scramble while whisking with the vinegar reduction, make sure the bottom of your bowl doesn't touch the water in the bain-marie and whisk continuously until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon but still smooth.
2. Another culprit could be adding hot butter that cooks the eggs; ensure the butter is warm but not hot when pouring it in.
3. Lastly, if you didn't remove the egg mixture from the heat before adding the butter, the sauce may get too hot, causing the ingredients to separate. If your eggs aren't scrambled but the butter isn't combining with the eggs, try adding a tablespoon of cold water and whisking again-it may just save the sauce!
Serving Suggestions
This gluten free Bearnaise sauce is a next level addition to many dishes. It's the perfect complement to classics like eggs Benedict.
Try it with favourite cuts of beef such as steak for an indulgent holiday meal or drizzle it over Lemon Baked Salmon or Tuna Fish Cakes for a delicious twist.
It also pairs wonderfully with pan-fried asparagus, adding richness to any vegetable side.
More Homemade Sauce Recipes
Love making sauces from scratch? We have a delicious sauce for every occasion:
Gluten Free Béarnaise Sauce
Ingredients
- 40 ml (1½ tablespoon) white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 20 g (⅓ cups) tarragon finely chopped
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 3 egg yolks large
- 200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Place the sliced shallots, half of the tarragon, vinegar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Once bubbling around the edges, cook the mixture for approximately 4-5 minutes, until reduced by half.
- Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing down with the back of the spoon. Allow the liquid to cool down. Discard the solids.
- In the meantime, melt the butter over low heat in a separate saucepan. Once melted, pour it into a small jug, and leave undisturbed. The milk solids should sink to the bottom.
- Place a heatproof bowl over a bain-marie (a pot with boiling water - make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water).
- Beat the egg yolks and the cooled down vinegar reduction in the bowl over the bain-marie until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Then remove it from the heat and gradually pour in the melted butter, whisking vigorously and continuously. Leave out the milk solids at the bottom of the jug. Whisk your bearnaise sauce until the butter is well combined into the egg yolk mixture and the sauce looks smooth and glossy.
- Finally, stir in the rest of the tarragon, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
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