Traditional spherification techniques won’t work with a rich béarnaise sauce, but our revolutionary new spherification technique makes the impossible highly doable! By adding gelatin to the spherification liquid we are able to stabilize the béarnaise sauce as it cools, giving time for the proper encapsulation to form. The effect is similar to traditional reverse spherification, with new added possibilities! We recommend serving the béarnaise warm (preferably on a steak) to keep it as fluid as possible for the full effect.
Difficulty
Advanced
Ingredients
- Béarnaise Ingredients:
- 240g (1 cup) Sherry Vinegar
- 200g (1 cup) Shallots, Finely Chopped
- 200g (7 oz) Butter, Melted
- 30g (6 tbsp) Whole Egg Powder
- 30g (2 tbsp) Lemon Juice
- 0.5g (⅛ tsp) Cayenne Pepper
- 5g (1 tsp) Salt
- 180g (13 Tbsp) Water
- 3g (1 +¼ tsp) 210s
- 6 Sheets PerfectaGel Silver Gelatin Sheets
- 5g (1 ¼ tsp) Calcium Lactate Gluconate
- 9g (2 tbsp) Tarragon, Chopped
- Setting Bath Ingredients:
- 1500g (6 cups) Distilled Water
- 7.5g (1 tablespoon) Perfected Sodium Alginate
- Rinsing Bath Ingredients:
- 500g (2 cups) Distilled Water
Equipment
- Blender
- Medium Size Sauté Pan
- Small Heavy Bottom Pot
- Spherification Spoons
- Silicone Mold
Timing
Active Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Yield
1 Pint, Spheres Quantity Varies
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Prepare Shallots and Gelatin
In a small heavy bottom pot place the finely chopped shallots and sherry vinegar. Bring this to a rapid boil and reduce for 5 minutes. Once reduced, remove this from the pot and allow it to cool completely before adding into the recipe later.In a small bowl, place the gelatin sheets and cover it with cold water (not listed). Allow this to bloom for five minutes or until softened before removing the gelatin sheets and discarding the water. Squeeze out any extra liquid before placing the sheets into a small bowl and microwaving on low for 20 to 30 seconds or until melted.
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Create Sauce
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. The butter should be about 140°F. If it is too cool it will solidify and not emulsify properly.In a blender add the whole egg powder, lemon juice, cayenne, salt, water, calcium lactate gluconate, and 210s.Blend the mixture for 30 seconds or until slightly thickened.Continue blending and slowly pour the melted butter into the blender. The sauce will emulsify easily.Remove the sauce from the blender and mix in the cooled shallot/vinegar mixture, melted gelatin sheets, and tarragon.
Pour the sauce into a mold of your choosing. The larger the mold the longer amount of time you will need to set the final sphere.
Cover and place the molds in the refrigerator until the sauce is fully set. This could take anywhere from one to three hours.
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Create Setting Bath
While the spheres are either freezing or chilling, pour the distilled water into a blender and slowly sprinkle the perfected sodium alginate into the liquid while blending on low speed. Continue blending for two to three minutes.Pour the mixture into a covered container and let sit while the perfected sodium alginate hydrates. Allow the mixture to settle until all the air bubbles have been released. The hydrating and air bubble release process will take 1 hour or more to fully hydrate, so be sure to not rush this process.
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Create Sauce “Sphere”
Once the molded béarnaise is set, pour the perfected sodium alginate solution into a wide sauté pan and begin heating over medium heat.Heat the sodium alginate solution to 140°F. In a smaller pot place the distilled water and allow it to heat to 140°F. Do your best to not over heat the water here as it can cook the eggs in the sauce.Drop the molded béarnaise into the perfected sodium alginate solution and let sit for 2-5 minutes per side. Time will vary depending on the size of your sphere. A larger sphere will require more time.
Remove from the solution with a spherification spoon and rinse in the hot distilled water. These can be held in the heated distilled water until needed (no longer than 30 minutes).Remove from the rinse water, dabbing any excess water off the bottom of the spoon with a paper towel.
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Storage and Reheating
If you want to store the spheres for further use, simply place them on a non-stick mat and allow them to cool until firm.Store them on wax paper and cover them well, so that they do not dry out. They can be stored for up to a day once cooled.The spheres can be reheated for service in a fresh bath of 140°F distilled water.
Summary
Recipe Name
Béarnaise Sauce Spherification
Author Name
Modernist Pantry
Published On
Preparation Time
Total Time
