Julia Child Béarnaise Sauce Recipe

If hollandaise is the butter sauce for eggs and vegetables, Julia Child Béarnaise Sauce is the butter sauce for steak. Same technique, different personality. This one tastes like tarragon and wine and has a sharp edge from vinegar. Put it on a perfectly seared filet mignon and you’ll understand why French steakhouses exist.

The difference is simple. Julia explains on pages 84-85 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking: “Béarnaise sauce differs from hollandaise only in taste and strength; instead of lemon juice, its basic flavoring is a reduction of wine, vinegar, shallots, pepper, and tarragon.”

That reduction is everything. Boil wine and vinegar with shallots and tarragon until concentrated and intense. Strain it. Use it where you’d use lemon juice in hollandaise. The result is deeper, more complex, perfect for red meat.

I serve this at dinner parties. Guests think I’m a genius. I don’t correct them.

What is Béarnaise sauce? A butter and egg yolk emulsion flavored with a tarragon-vinegar reduction. The classic French sauce for steak, often called the king of butter sauces.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Steak’s best friend: Nothing else comes close.
• Hollandaise’s bolder sibling: Same technique, bigger flavor.
• Tarragon is the star: Fresh, anise-like, unmistakably French.
• Impressive but achievable: If you can make hollandaise, you can make this.
• Restaurant-quality at home: The sauce that elevates Tuesday steak night to special occasion.

Béarnaise vs. Hollandaise

Same family. Different flavor profiles.

Béarnaise	Hollandaise
Tarragon-vinegar reduction	Lemon juice
Bold, tannic, herbal	Bright, clean, buttery
For steak, lamb, fish	For eggs, asparagus, vegetables
Flecked with fresh herbs	Smooth and golden

Know hollandaise and you know Béarnaise. The technique is identical.

Julia Child Béarnaise Sauce Ingredients

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, Pages 84-85. Makes 1½ cups.

For the Reduction:

• ¼ cup wine vinegar
• ¼ cup dry white wine (or dry vermouth)
• 1 Tb minced shallots
• 1 Tb fresh tarragon, minced (or ½ Tb dried)
• ⅛ tsp pepper
• Pinch of salt

For the Sauce:

• 3 egg yolks
• 2 Tb cold butter
• ½ to ⅔ cup melted butter
• 2 Tb fresh tarragon or parsley, minced (for finishing)

How To Make Julia Child Béarnaise Sauce

Step 1: Make the Reduction

1. Combine in saucepan: Vinegar, wine, shallots, tarragon, pepper, and salt.
2. Boil until reduced: Over moderate heat, reduce to 2 tablespoons. Watch carefully near the end.
3. Cool slightly: Let the reduction cool before adding to yolks.

Step 2: Prep the Yolks

4. Beat yolks until thick: About 1 minute in a saucepan.
5. Strain in the reduction: Pour through a fine strainer to remove the solids. Press to extract all flavor.
6. Beat to combine.

Step 3: Thicken and Emulsify

7. Add 1 Tb cold butter: Place pan over very low heat.
8. Stir constantly: Until yolks thicken into a light cream. Same technique as hollandaise.
9. Remove from heat: Beat in second tablespoon of cold butter to stop cooking.
10. Add melted butter by droplets: Just drops at first. Once thick, pour more steadily.

Step 4: Finish

11. Taste and season: Adjust salt and pepper.
12. Stir in fresh herbs: The minced tarragon or parsley at the end gives characteristic green flecks.
13. Serve warm.

Recipe Tips

• The reduction is the soul: Don’t rush it. Let alcohol and vinegar cook off completely until syrupy. Should be intensely flavored.
• Strain it well: The herbs and shallots have given their flavor. Their texture shouldn’t be in your smooth sauce.
• Same rescue methods as hollandaise: If it breaks, the same fixes work.
• Fresh tarragon at the end: Dried for the reduction, fresh for finishing. Best of both.
• Keep it warm, not hot: Same rules as hollandaise. Lukewarm water bath or pilot light.

Classic Variations

Sauce Choron (Tomato Béarnaise): Beat 2-4 Tb tomato paste into finished Béarnaise. Reddish, rich, perfect for chicken or fish.

Sauce Colbert (With Meat Glaze): Stir 1-1½ Tb meat glaze melted in 1 Tb white wine into finished Béarnaise. Extra savory depth.

What To Serve With Béarnaise

The classic pairings:

• Grilled steak, especially filet mignon
• Beef tenderloin
• Grilled lamb chops
• Broiled or fried fish
• Roast chicken
• Egg dishes

This sauce was born for red meat. But don’t limit yourself.

How To Hold Béarnaise

• Keep warm: Set saucepan in lukewarm water. Stir occasionally. Holds about an hour.
• If it thickens too much: Whisk in a tablespoon of hot water.
• Leftovers: Refrigerate up to 2 days. Use as enrichment for pan sauces or reuse in other sauces.

Nutrition Facts

Per 2 Tb serving:

• Calories: 110 kcal
• Protein: 1g
• Total Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Carbohydrates: 0g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 0g
• Sodium: 70mg
• Cholesterol: 75mg

FAQs

Source: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 by Julia Child, Pages 84-85

– Claire