Beurre Blanc is a mother sauce - a French word meaning white butter - an emulsified sauce. Emulsified means we combine two or more ingredients that don't normally go together by using the acid from wine or citrus as a catalyst to form a smooth creamy sauce. Making beurre blanc sauce can be a little tricky, but with practice, you'll get results like a pro.
PROCESS:
Start with a clean sauce pan over medium high heat. Add one cup of dry white wine, like chardonnay. Add fresh minced garlic and or shallots Allow the wine to boil and reduce by half its volume. Add heavy whipping cream and reduce this to half its volume.
While this is happening slice two sticks (half a pound) of butter into chunks.
When the cream is reduced by half turn the heat down to low slowly add the butter chunks, one at a time whisking constantly.
When all the butter is added allow it to boil for about 10 seconds. Immediately remove the beurre blanc from the heat and pour into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. This is Garlic Beurre Blanc
If you leave the sauce in the hot pan, it may get too hot and separate
Tomato Basil Beurre Blanc
For a slightly different variation, add fresh chopped tomatoes and basil chiffonade. Finish with fresh lemon juice. This is tomato basil beurre blanc
You can use this basic sauce recipe to create any other flavors you choose, you may add veal demi-glace as a great background for steaks
or lobster demi-glace to beurre blanc for seafood dishes
Try adding leftover garlic beurre blanc to your next batch of mashed potatoes.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup - Chardonnay
1 tablespoon - Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon - Shallots, minced
1/2 cup - Heavy Cream
2 sticks - Butter