Beurre Blanc

Hello Fellow Foodies!

A few nights ago I was in possession of a couple of lovely looking Alaskan Cod fillets. I decided to treat them simply, and allow their fresh goodness to shine through. I seared them off in my cast iron skillet and made a lemon Beurre Blanc with capers with which to top them. What exactly is Beurre Blanc, you ask?

Epicurious.com defines Beurre Blanc thusly:

beurre blanc
[burr BLAHN , , burr BLAHN , GK]
Meaning "white butter," this classic French sauce is composed of a wine, vinegar and SHALLOT REDUCTION into which chunks of cold butter are whisked until the sauce is thick and smooth. It's excellent with poultry, seafood, vegetables and eggs.

© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst. Read More http://www.epicurious.com:80/tools/fooddictionary/search#ixzz1sK2FTZZx

When I was a much younger chef, beurre blanc used to scare me every time I'd make it. If the liquid is too hot, or not properly reduced the butter will fully melt and the sauce will "break" into a mix of oily, yucky goo that you cannot use. If you are a bit daunted by the idea of making beurre blanc, simply add 2 Tbs. of heavy cream to the poaching liquid-this will make incorporating the butter a bit easier.

There are some great modern variations of this very useful and basic sauce. I prefer to use lemon juice instead of vinegar when I am topping fish. Also-most of the time I am not in the possession of shallots (as most normal people are not), so I just use a few minced onions in place of the expensive, and sometimes tough to find, shallots. Happy Cooking!!!!

Lemon Beurre Blanc with Capers

1 lemon-zested and juice

1/4 cup white wine

1 garlic clove-crushed

2 Tbs. finely minced shallots or onions

4 oz. (one stick) butter-cut into 6-8 pieces

2-3 Tbs. capers (depending upon you own tastes)

salt and white pepper to taste

Allow the butter pieces to warm to room temperature. Place the zest, juice, wine, garlic, and onions in a very small saucepan.

Reduce the mixture over medium heat until you have about 1 Tbs. of liquid remaining. REMOVE THE PAN FROM THE HEAT AND ALLOW TO COOL TO 150 degrees!!!

This is very important so that the butter does not over melt causing the sauce to "break". Dump all the butter into the pan at once and whisk vigorously until you have a velvety, creamy sauce.

Strain through a mesh sieve ( I use a little tea strainer) into a Pyrex container. Keep warm, but not hot until needed. Stir in the capers at the last minute and pour over desired food.