Beurre Blanc
the classic French, white-butter sauce that's easy to master. (this can be made without the heavy cream, but this beurre blanc holds up better)
1 tablespoon of sweet, unsalted butter
1/4 cup of finely diced shallots
3 tablespoons of white vinegar
2 tablespoons of white wine
1/2 cup of heavy cream
8 tablespoons of chilled, unsalted butter
salt & pepper to taste
Start by melting the tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and saute
the shallots over low to medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the vinegar and white wine. Bring to boil over medium heat
and reduce to a scant two tablespoons. this concentrates the flavors.
Add cream and reduce by half, about 5 minutes.
Have a stick of butter sliced into pads and well chilled.
One by one, drop a pad of butter into the saucepan and mix well with
a whisk until the butter is melted and incorporated.
Add next pad and so on until done.
Remove sauce from heat. Salt & Pepper to taste.
Sauce can be kept warm for several hours by placing it into a jar or
something that you can leave standing in a warm water.
Variations:
-Whisk in some fresh lemon juice & fresh cracked pepper.
-Whisk in some fresh lime juice & cayenne pepper.
-Add fresh chopped herbs from your garden and let sit for a few minutes.