Sauce · French
Butter-Poached Lobster Bites with Stick-Blender Béarnaise
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (for béarnaise)
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp dry white wine
- 1 Tbsp finely minced shallot
- ¾ tsp dried tarragon
- Pinch black or white pepper
- ¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Hot water, if needed
- Raw lobster tail meat
- Butter (for poaching, quantity unspecified)
- Dry white wine (small splash, for poaching)
Directions
- Combine the white wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp dry white wine, shallot, dried tarragon, and pepper in a small saucepan.
- Simmer gently until reduced to about 1½ tablespoons of liquid.
- Strain the reduction, pressing on the shallot and tarragon to extract the liquid. Set aside.
- Melt ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter until completely liquid and quite hot, approximately 180–190°F. Do not brown it.
- Put the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the prepared reduction, and ¼ tsp salt into a tall, narrow stick-blender container.
- Start the immersion blender and very slowly drizzle in the hot butter while blending continuously. Once the sauce begins to thicken and emulsify, the butter can be added somewhat faster.
- Blend until thick, smooth, and creamy.
- Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and blend briefly. Taste and adjust with additional lemon juice, salt, or a small pinch of dried tarragon, if desired.
- If the sauce is too thick, blend in hot water 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Keep warm.
- Cut raw lobster tail meat into approximately 1-inch pieces.
- In a saucepan, warm butter (quantity unspecified) with a small splash of dry white wine over low heat. Keep the poaching liquid at approximately 160–180°F; it should not boil.
- Add the lobster pieces and gently poach for approximately 3–4 minutes, turning once. Smaller pieces may be ready in 2½–3 minutes.
- Cook until the lobster is opaque and tender, or reaches 145°F internally.
- Season the cooked lobster with salt and add just a few drops of fresh lemon juice.
- Serve the lobster warm with a small spoonful of warm béarnaise over each piece.