Orange Beurre Blanc Sauce for Seafood
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Beurre Blanc is a French sauce ("white butter") based on a reduction of shallots and an acid such as vinegar, citrus juice, or wine, mixed in with cold butter. Its creamy tanginess works well with mild fish such as trout, shad, or haddock. It may also be served with any shellfish including lobster, crab, and scallops. This recipe comes from a cooking class I took at Scott's Seafood in Folsom, California, presented by Chef David Lamonica.
Orange Beurre Blanc Sauce for Seafood Recipe
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Ingredients
2 oranges
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoons minced shallots
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
Salt and white pepper
Method
1 Zest half of one orange (about 2 teaspoons) and juice the two oranges (about 3/4 cup). Put the juice, zest, wine and shallots in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Cook until it is syrupy and almost gone.
2 On low heat, whisk in the butter continuously and vigorously, 1 tablespoon at a time. Butter is the only emulsifier for this sauce, and if you slowly add it, continuously stirring, the sauce will achieve a silky smooth texture. Do not let the sauce boil.
3 Add salt and pepper to taste.
Makes about 1 cup.
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This is now my family's favorite way to eat white fish! I served the sauce over tilapia fillets and it turned out great. Experimented a little using less butter and scallions instead of shallots, since I didn't have shallots at the time. I like the extra color the green onions provide.