is made by beating butter into a reduction of something acid (vinegar or lemon juice) with shallots and flavouring herbs (tarragon, chervil), and egg yolk, then heating the result until it begins to thicken. It is a robust sauce, often served with grilled steak or grilled fish of a substantial sort, like salmon.
McGee (1990) gives an illuminating account of the scientific aspects of preparing this sauce, and emphasizes that the ratio between egg yolks and butter, accounted sacrosanct by many authorities, can safely be varied within widely spaced limits. Flexibility, within rather narrower limits, can also be shown in the exact choice of ingredients and in the sequence of operations.
Béarnaise is a ‘mother sauce’ from which by slight modifications some other minor sauces may be devised.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
McGee, Harold (1990), The Curious Cook, San Francisco: North Point Press.
