French · sauce/condiment
Béarnaise Sauce
Béarnaise Sauce reads richness 6.5, herbaceous 4.5 and umami 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a French sauce/condiment, about 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 4.7 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 3.3 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 3.8 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 1.3 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 6.5 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Richness 6.5 · Herbaceous 4.5 · Umami 4.2 · Allium 3.6 · Salinity 3.0 · Sourness 2.9 · Citrus 2.9 · Fruity 2.8 · Funk & Ferment 2.3 · Floral 2.2 · Sweetness 1.6 · Earthy 1.2 · Bitterness 0.7 · Heat 0.7 · Warm Spice 0.7
What's in it (9)
- 3 egg yolks
- 12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, clarified
- 2 tbsp tarragon vinegar
- 3 tbsp dry white wine
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh chervil, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Time & effort: about 20 min (15 min active) · effort: medium
Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (3 steps)
- Reduce shallots, tarragon vinegar, and wine to a syrup, cool slightly, then whisk in egg yolks over a bain-marie until thick and ribbony.
- Slowly drizzle in warm clarified butter while whisking constantly to build a thick emulsion.
- Finish with fresh tarragon and chervil, season, and serve warm with steak.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Creamy Chinese Celery Soup — Chinese
- Skillet Lamb Chops with Garlic and Rosemary — American
- Escargots de Bourgogne — French
- Cochinillo Asado de Segovia — Spanish · Castile
- Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola — Italian-American
Keep reading: what richness, herbaceous, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.