logan_owens14•24d agoMost Upvoted

Weird thing happened with my beurre blanc last night

I was making a classic beurre blanc for some halibut, following my usual method. I had my reduction of shallots, vinegar, and wine ready, and started whisking in the cold butter cubes off the heat. Halfway through, the sauce just... broke. It looked greasy and separated, which never happens to me. I think my pan was still too hot from the reduction, even though I took it off the burner. I managed to save it by adding a splash of cold cream and whisking like crazy over an ice bath. Has anyone else had a beurre blanc fail because of residual pan heat? What's your foolproof method to keep the temperature right?

3 comments

3 Comments

hernandez.troy23d ago

My buddy's sauce broke last week, same issue with a hot pan.

morgan_butler2d ago

Ugh, that reminds me of the time I tried to make hollandaise for brunch and it just turned into soup. I was so sure the heat was fine, but I guess I looked away for one second. Had to serve my friends eggs with this weird, buttery yellow liquid. Total disaster.

max33023d ago

Breaking a sauce isn't always the pan's fault. Could be the fat to liquid ratio was off from the start. A hot pan can actually help if you're making a proper emulsion, it's about control. Your buddy might have just added the oil too fast.