Beurre Blanc with Caviar (or Smoked Trout Roe)
October 12, 2026
About this Recipe
I love to take the classic beurre blanc and add a little panache with the addition of caviar. I’ve seen this done at a few restaurants, and the little black dots add a striking visual quality and little pops of oceanic salinity to the bite. I also love using smoked trout roe for little orange color pops with added smoky essence. Use one or both; use a lot or a little- it’s up to you, but 1 to 2 ounces is the sweet spot for this recipe.
Serves 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, plus more if needed
- One medium shallot, minced
- 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground black or white pepper (optional)
- 1-2 ounce caviar, smoked trout roe, or salmon roe
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine wine, vinegar, and minced shallot and cook over medium heat until simmering. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture almost fully evaporates with 1 or 2 tablespoons remaining. Turn heat off.
- Working with a few cubes of butter at a time, whisk butter into the wine mixture, whisking constantly, until it melts and emulsifies. Just as the last piece of butter melts into the mixture, add more butter, continue whisking and adding butter until the mixture has turned into a cohesive sauce. If the mixture gets cool, turn the heat on the lowest setting and continue to whisk in butter. Do not bring the butter mixture to a simmer; it will break the sauce. Heat the mixture just enough to continue the melting process and to heat the sauce enough to be served alongside warm food. You can choose to serve as-is or run the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the shallot. Gently stir in 1-2 ounces of caviar or smoked trout roe, depending on how much you are using.
Learn about beurre blanc
