White Wine Butter Sauce

Many chefs prefer to strain the beurre blanc, but for some dishes, the minced shallots provide an appealing contrast to the pale sauce. This recipe contains a small amount of heavy cream, which, although not essential, will help start the emulsion. A great deal of myth still surrounds the addition of the butter to the flavor base. Many authors insist that the butter be added in tiny increments, often as little as a tablespoon at a time, over low heat and imply that the sauce will break if the butter is added any faster. In fact, the butter can be cut into relatively large cubes (about one inch on each side) and added all at once over high heat. The keys are not to stop whisking and not to let the sauce boil. Seasoning should be added at the end. VARIATIONS: You can add orange, lemon, or grapefruit zest with the shallots and a teaspoon of juice for a citrus sauce. Adding finely-grated fresh ginger root will give it a spicy, oriental flavor. HOLDING AND SAVING BEURRE BLANC: If held properly, beurre blanc prepared just before a restaurant service or lenghty meal will stay intact for several hours. Leave it in the saucepan, covered in a warm area such as a warm oven, plate warmer, or on the back of the stove. If necessary, the saucepan can be placed in a pan of hot water. When beurre blanc is held for any length of time, it will begin to thicken and must be thinned periodically with heavy cream, water, court-bouillon, or another appropriate liquid. If it is not thinned and stirred approximately every thirty minutes, it is likely to break. Broken beurre blanc can be repaired by whisking it into several tablespoons of reduced heavy crem, but this can be done only once.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup CHRISTOPHER RANCH Shallots, finely diced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 pinch kosher salt (to taste)
• 1 dash fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Combine the finely-diced shallots with the white wine and vinegar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Gently simmer the mixture until almost all the liquid has evaporated (reduced by 90%).
3. Add the heavy cream (if cream is not being used, the same amount of another liquid, such as water, must be added or the sauce will be too thick).
4. Watch the inside of the saucepan to make sure it does not brown, which will discolor the sauce; wipe off any browning with a wet towel.
5. Cut butter into 1-inch cubes and add them to the shallot infusion.
6. Whisk the sauce over medium heat until all the butter has been incorporated.
7. Adjust the seasonings - if the sauce seems flat, add wine vinegar, a few drops at a time; if the sauce tastes harsh or overly acidic, whisk in more butter.