Beurre blanc, a sauce of butter suspended in white wine, is centuries old. Also called beurre nantais, after its hometown of Nantes, France, it’s is part of a family of French butter sauces that occasionally inspire fear due to their tendency to break over high heat.

Recipe information

• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

⅓ cup dry white wine

¼ cup white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot

¼ cup heavy cream

Pinch cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation

1. Step 1
   Bring ⅓ cup dry white wine, ¼ cup white wine vinegar, and 2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot to a boil in a 2–3-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat until liquid is syrupy and reduced to 2–3 Tbsp., about 5 minutes.
2. Step 2
   Add ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt; boil 1 minute longer. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 2–3 Tbsp. of 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, whisking constantly. Add remaining butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly and adding new cubes of butter before previous ones have completely liquefied (the sauce should maintain consistency of hollandaise), lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool mixture (if emulsification looks greasy or starts to break, add cold water by the half-teaspoon). Season with more kosher salt to taste.Photo by Travis Rainey, Prop styling by Alexandra Massillon, Food styling by Jesse Szewczyk

Notes

Any dry white wine will work here, including Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay, or Pinot Gris or Grigio. For finishing, pour the finished sauce through a fine-mesh strainer if you prefer a smoother texture, or add finely chopped parsley or tarragon for color and flavor. (The sauce will no longer reflect its name, which translates to “white butter,” but will still taste delicious.) Or add a spritz of lemon juice if you’d like it brighter (all depends on the wine you chose). Serve your beurre blanc with baked salmon, poached chicken, pan-seared scallops, or steamed veggies, or dollop it on top of scrambled eggs.

Wine mixture can be reduced, and cream and seasoning added, up to 1 hour ahead. Boil cream 1 minute before adding butter.