I have a question about Bearnaise Sauce

[Cookupcat]

I have a wonderful recipe for Bearnaise Sauce. But the recipe makes a lot of sauce, and I end of throwing so much of it away. I heard Bearnaise Sauce cannot be refrigerated. Is this still true? I tried to reduce the recipe, but it just doesn't taste the same. Anybody know if you can save the sauce for another day?

[cheflayne]

It is not so much that it can't be refrigerated but how to reheat without breaking. That and the concern of bacterial growth depending on how long originally held warm.

[cape chef]

You should make Hollandaise/Bearnaise is small batches as as close to service time as possible. Only hold them for 90 minutes to two hours maximum, then start a fresh batch. You need to keep the sauce at around 140-145 degree's so the butter does not solidify"get to thick" You can revive a butter sauce by starting with a warm egg and adding the sauce slowly into the egg, this is the only way to prevent the butter crystals from pooling. But I don't like the mouth feel or taste of a revived "Not rescued, thats different"sauce.You make these sauces in small batches because of the temperature you hold them at induces Bactria growth.

Also you can certainly make tiny batches for home use, just scale down your recipe appropriately. If you need help with this post the recipe and I will convert it for you.

[BearBoxer]

A tablespoon of warm water can replace that warm egg yolk and still give the same result.

[deltadoc]

I've frozen leftover bernaise sauce. Got the idea originally 20+ years ago from some gourmet frozen food place out of NY that sold little filet mignon frozen dinners that came with a container of bearnaise.

It's a bit of a trick to un-freeze the sauce, but it can be done using a double boiler.

I agree with Cape Chef about a rescued sauce using the egg yolk method. Occasionally, when I'm not paying close enough attention to making the bearnaise in the first place, it will curdle. I've used very cold cream to "rescue" the sauce, and while it always works, the taste/texture is just not the same. I've heard you could use ice cold water instead of the cream, but have never tried it.

doc

[kuan]

Smell it. Frozen Bearnaise has old butter left in the freezer too long smell.

[Cookupcat]

Thanks to all of you who replied to my question about holding Bearnaise sauce. It helped a lot. I refrigerated some leftover sauce, and it looked ugly. No way I would consider messing with it now. Thanks for all your help!

[britt]

What makes it bernaise, is the tarragon reduction. Depending on the ingedients used, the reduction can be good for days. The question here, seems to the hollandaise.
britt