A perfectly cooked steak and un bon ballon de rouge, a good glass of red, that´s a meal I can hardly ever resist to, let alone when it comes with a buttery sauce Béarnaise. The Béarnaise truly is among the biggest stars of French bistrot cuisine, the Brigitte Bardot of sauces: golden, decadent, tantalizing. Refined and flavorful, it´s hard to imagine it wasn´t purposefully created by an ingenious chef, but as the legend goes, we owe this classic to a very trivial kitchen mishap.
The story dates back to the year 1837. In St. Germain-en-Laye, not far from where I live, a celebration is being held honoring the new railway line connecting the quiet suburb with the glamorous capital. At the restaurant Le pavillion Henri IV, tensions are high in the kitchen: Everything is supposed to be perfect on this special day - until someone screws up a shallot sauce. Dauntlessly, the chef of the kitchen, a man called Collinet, saves the preparation by adding egg yolks and herbs, then serves it as if it nothing had happened. Applauding guests ask for the name of his creation, and in the heat of the moment, he thinks of home or, perhaps more likely, sees the bust of Henri IV from the corner of his eye. And since they were both from the province of Béarn, the sauce Béarnaise was born.
Sauce béarnaise:
2 shallots, finely chopped1/2 bouquet of each tarragon and chervil, chopped
180 g butter
3 egg yolks
25 ml white wine vinegar
40 ml white wine
salt and pepper
1tbsp water
Chop shallots and herbs finely.
Clarify butter: In a small saucepan, gently heat butter so that the solids separate from the golden fat. You will have two phases: the white foamy proteins on top, the clarified butter below. Remove from heat. Discard white foam with a spoon, pour clarified butter in a small recipient and set aside.
In another saucepan, bring shallots with vinegar, wine, salt & pepper and half of the herbs to boil. Simmer over medium heat until slightly syrupy and reduced to about a third of the initial volume.
Remove from heat. Strain reduction through a fine meshed sieve. Using a hand whisk, add water and the yolks, one by one, to the vinegar-shallot-reduction, vigorously whisking away.
Put back over low heat, whisking until the sauce starts to thicken. Remove from heat for a few seconds every 1-2 minutes or so to avoid overheating and curdling. After 7-10 minutes, the sauce will be nice and frothy. Remove from heat and whisk in the clarified butter and remaining herbs. Adjust seasoning and serve over pan seared steak (or salmon, veal filet, green asparagus - it´s always good!).
Parsnip fries (frites de panais):
At our house, there is hardly any steak without frites. For as long as parsnips are in season, I use them instead of potatoes - their sweetness pairs wonderfully with the slight acidity of the Béarnaise.
Count 1-2 medium parsnips per person. Peel parsnips and cut into fries of about 2 inch/5 cm length and desired thickness. Fry at 160 °C in neutral vegetable or peanut oil until golden. Place on kitchen paper to drain excess fat. Season with fleur de sel.
Steak:
As I love my steak à point (medium), I prefer an entrecôte, faux-filet, or filet. If you are a fan of rare cooked meat though, `bavette` (on the very right in the first photo) or `onglet` might be perfect cuts for you. Both must just kiss the sizzling hot pan for a minute or so on either side, otherwise you´ll end up with a chewy sole of a shoe on your plate - and not even the most velvety Béarnaise will be able to make up for that.
Brush a griddle pan with peanut or neutral vegetable oil suitable for deep frying. When sizzling hot (test with the tip of a toothpick or wooden skewer), add meat and don´t move it until it loosens from the bottom of the pan, about 2 min. Flip over and sear for another 1.5-2 minutes, or until desired cuisson. Allow to rest on a plate for 5 minutes, covered with aluminum foil. Season with fleur de sel. (The times indicated are for medium cuisson, à point in French, for cuts of about 200 g each).
 |
….and next time a French waiter asks you about your cuisson préférée, how you would like your steak being cooked, here´s what to say:
bleu - very rare
saignant - rare
à point - medium
bien cuit - well done
Bon appétit!
No comments
Post a Comment