Classic Beurre Blanc
October 12, 2026
About this Recipe
I start with a classic preparation of beurre blanc: minced shallots reduced in white wine and white wine vinegar. A note before you begin. When you are cooking the first three ingredients, you want to be sure to leave at least 1-2 tablespoons of liquid in the pan. The butter only emulsifies if it has something to combine with. A mistake I made early on was to over-reduce the liquid; the sauce won’t sauce if you do that. The butter needs a friend to bind to for a successful emulsification process.
You can substitute white wine for any old white wine thing you have in your fridge. I’ve made beurre blanc with old flat prosecco and other sparkling leftover white wines.
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)
- Minced chives or micro chives (optional)
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.
Learn about beurre blanc
