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What are some good dishes that go with béarnaise sauce?I want an excuse to make béarnaise sauce several times so I can master it, but I think I'd get tired of eating it with steak over and over and over. I'm looking for some suggestions on other entrees I could make where it would be appropriate. Tips on keeping the eggs from curdling would also be appreciated if you're familiar with the sauce, although I'm already adding a few drops of water and using a double boiler.
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6 Answers
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Ooh, someone beat me to it on the asparagus. Basically bearnaise is a kind of cooked mayonnaise - just like hollandaise. It is rich and fatty and salty and custardy, and will pair well with anything that has a slightly bitter taste, and will hold up texture-wise. So, think steamed or grilled asparagus, broccoli, green beans, artichoke leaves.
You can also use it as a decadent accompaniment to cold chicken, served in the french way with a side of cornichons or other pickled veggies and some good mustard.
As for the curdling, what's your method of emulsion? There are a couple of different ways:
1. You can whisk it continuously in a metal bowl over a double-boiler -- and be sure that the simmering water is just barely at a simmer, OR
2. You can whisk all your eggs and then beat in hot oil or butter, like in a blender. This was the method my mom used when I was a kid, but it will thoroughly puree any herbs or shallots you've added.
In both cases, the higher you heat your ingredients before or during emulsification, the more likely you are to curdle your sauce. This is why gentle double-boilers are your best friend.
Trick for rescuing if it's curdled: add a couple of drops to a teaspoon of boiling hot water. Whisk in until it re-emulsifies. I don't know why this works, but it was a trick I pulled from a Jamie Oliver book, and it has definitely worked for me.
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Bearnaise goes well with salmon and lobster. I also enjoy it with asparagus as a side-dish.
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My favorite is steak oscar (steak topped with crab and bearnaise sauce). Since you are getting tired of steak. Try it with a chicken breast instead. Bearnaise and dungeoness crab go together great, and its nice to have a little more of a substantial protein (chicken or steak) too.
Good luck.
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Bearnaise is a very versatile sauce and goes well with most meat, poultry and vegetables.
There's no real trick to making good Bearnaise; it's simply a matter of paying attention. Best to use a double-boiler, as this will more evenly distribute heat than placing the sauce pan in direct contact with the heat source. If you don't have a D-B, set a heat-resistant Pyrex or Duralex bowl (slightly larger than the circumference of the sauce pan) on top. Make sure the heat is set only to medium or medium-low; if the eggs get too hot the proteins will start to coagulate and you'll end up with nice scrambled eggs, which make for a lousy sauce. If you're unsure about the relative temperature range of your stove elements or burners get an "instant read" meat thermometer and check the temperature of the water before you start whisking the eggs. They need to stay below 160 degrees in order to maintain the proper consistency; they should be light and thick, just holding shape when ready for mixing.
Make sure to take the eggs off the heat before emulsifying with your butter and wine reduction. A common mistake is to begin mixing in the other ingredients while the eggs are still on-heat, which can result in a "dry" and burnt smelling sauce - and you don't want that
The other tip is to KEEP WHISKING - don't stop - until the sauce reaches the desired thickness. This will ensure a smooth, creamy sauce without lumps.
There's some difference of opinion as to whether or not to add the wine reduction to the eggs and then heat them together, but the few times I've made Bearnaise from scratch I've found it's better to add the reduction at the same time as the butter AFTER the egg yolks have been prepped. That way, if you DO screw up the eggs, you can just start over without having wasted the time - and ingredients - you spent making the reduction.
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If you are trying to master the technique, you can also make hollandaise, which has no tarragon and has lemon juice instead of vinegar but is otherwise the same. It is traditionally served with asparagus and a poached egg, as well as eggs benedict. Frankly, you could just make different variations of eggs benedict (crab cakes, chicken, etc.) and serve it with the bearnaise sauce.
To keep the eggs from curdling, just keep doing what you are doing--cook gently and whisk constantly.
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Chateaubriand with sauce Béarnaise is lovely.
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