Beurre Blanc is a traditional French mild and creamy emulsified sauce served hot like Hollandaise. It is velvety and rich and is a wonderful canvas upon which to build layers of flavor using herbs and seasoning. Unlike Hollandaise, it does not have egg yolks, and unlike cold emulsifications like mayonnaise, it is thick and coats foods nicely without being spreadable. Beurre blanc translates to white butter, which is the main ingredient in the sauce. When making Beurre Blanc, use very cold butter, as that is a key aspect of making the emulsification work. Another trick to ensure that your sauce doesn’t break is to cook it over a very low heat, and absolutely do not let it come to a boil.
If, however, your sauce breaks or does not come together, you can use a small amount of cream to bind it. We offer two versions of Beurre Blanc in this book—this one, which uses vinegar as is traditional but substitutes the sweetness of roasted garlic for the customary shallots, and another that makes use of Meyer lemon and tarragon.