Béarnaise sauce

There was a time when the wealthy had greenhouses and could grow plants. Therefore, they could make delicacies any time of the year. The tarragon and chervil were always available. I can get chervil at the Farmer's Market only when the weather cooperates. I ran a netsearch on Béarnaise sauce and the citations returned are all a monotone. Martha Stewart's is the same as Epicurious', as Ina Garten's, as New York Times'. The guy at the Food Lab gets closest to the original. There may be another reason that this sauce is no longer made and I'm again guessing it is too much work. But haute cuisine is worthy of re-creating. So here goes. Words in brackets are mine.

Larousse Gastronomique. Page 817.

1 tbs. chopped shallot
2 tbs (3 tbs) tarragon and chervil [sic]
a sprig of thyme
a fragment of bay leaf
3 tbs vinegar
3 tbs white wine
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of mignonette pepper
2 egg yolks
1 tbs water
1 tbs water
4 ozs butter
a squeeze of lemon juice
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 additional tbs of tarragon, garnish
1 additional tbs of chervil, garnish

None of the above recipes from these experts use the cayenne or bay leaf. My guess about the tarragon-chervil confusion is 2 T tarragon and 1 T chervil. But my instincts would prefer 2 T chervil. Your guess?

I'm giving the instructions in a proper order.

Take the butter from the frig and set on the counter to come to room temp. Chop the tarragon, cover and reserve. Chop the chervil, cover and reserve. Peel and chop the shallots. Reserve. Crack the eggs and separate the yolks. Reserve the yolks. Save the whites for other uses. Cut the lemon for convenient squeezing. In a mortar, crush the pepper.

In a small saucepan, put the wine and vinegar. Add the tarragon, chervil, thyme and bay leaf. Season with the salt and a pepper. Reduce by ⅔, remove from heat and bring to room temperature. Mix the yolks with the 1 tbs water. Whisk the sauce over very low heat. As soon as the eggs begin to thicken the sauce, stir in the butter in ½ inch cubes, one or two at a time, whisking continuously.

Season the sauce [add more salt if needed], sharpen the sauce with lemon juice and cayenne. Strain. Finish off with the tablespoons of chervil and tarragon. Keep warm in a double-boiler.

Cooks Note: the wine vinegar reduction of 3 fluid ounces becomes, when reduced 1 fluid ounces. There is a spelling error in the Larousse Index. Under the Sauce category the spelling of the sauce is Barnaise.

Roquefort Dressing with Chervil and Tarragon

3 ozs. Blue Cheese
2 tbs. cream, heavy
1⁄4 tsp. salt
1⁄4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. chervil, fresh, minced
1⁄4 tsp. tarragon leaves, fresh, minced
2 tbs. vinegar

The light 'triangles' is the sun through the glass jar.

Divide the cheese as follows:

1 oz. for the salad bits

2 ozs. for the dressing

Mince the chervil and tarragon.

To the 2 ozs. of cheese, add 2 tbs. of heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2 or  milk.

Mix with a fork to make a paste.

By divide, I mean eyeball it. Please don't get out a scale and start weighing.

Blend in the salt and pepper.

Blend in the chervil and tarragon.

Stream the vinegar in slowly, stirring like a madman.

If it's not incorporated like this, the dairy will have an off taste.

Pour the mixture over the salad with the bits of remaining cheese and toss to dress. Using milk makes a thinner dressing.

Cook's Notes. On my first try I decided to use a stick blender to emulsify the cheese. It worked pretty well. The air mixed into the dressing made it light, without being fluffy, The dressing  was barely enough for a salad for 2 people. I cannot explain this you should just try and see.

If you cannot find fresh tarragon, I guess you could use tarragon wine vinegar. But without the fresh chervil, there is no point to this recipe. It's the sin qua non.

In the future I would make a double quantity. I would use half a bunch of chervil. I minced mine if an electric spice grinder. I had the chervil and tarragon mixed together. 

If you find yourself with leftover tarragon, put it in some wine vinegar and let it steep 6 weeks before use.

Herbes de Provence

My Carrera Marble Italian Mortar and Pestle

I had some Penzey's Herbes de Provence. The smallest possible jar. What they call .4 oz or a fourth of a cup. I will list the ingredients from the Penzey website:

The list is NOT in the order of the amounts of each herb. I cannot find a list of ingredients in the amounts of each ingredient from them.

Rosemary

Fennel Seeds

Thyme

Savory

Basil

Tarragon

Dill Weed

Oregano (they call their Turkish, but I call it Greek)

Lavendar

Chervil

Marjoram

I was down to my last half of a teaspoon when I decided to make some more of my own. Much to my surprise, I learned that rather than an ancient spice blend, Herbes de Provence came into commerce in the 1970s.

I looked at Martha Stewart's recipe and about a dozen or so more. I admit I like Penzey's. I did not want to buy dried savory, and chervil. Penzey's probably sells them but I was making a blend based on teaspoon measurement. If I had to buy those herbs, I would be into the same price range as buying more Penzey's. So I substituted 1/2 measure of sage leaves for the chervil and/or tarragon, dill weed and savory.

The Penzey's jar is a lovely size for making this recipe:

1 tsp. of rosemary, dried, needles? In any case, not powdered

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

2 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. lavendar

1 tsp. marjoram.

I put the rosemary, fennel and lavender in the mortar first and ground that up a bit so that the seeds and flowers would give up their essence a little. All the other ingredients were then added and the pestle was used to mix them without using much force. I didn't want to heat the herbs, but only crush them slightly.

The above quantities just filled the Penzey's jar and I spent about 69¢ on the lavender at a nearby mom & pop Latin market. The other herbs are staples in my kitchen.

The quantities I used are based on seeing a variety of recipes on the web. This is (and has got to be) an individual taste. Yes, mixing differing quantities is a nuisance, but I guess you could buy all those spices and make up gifts for friends.

To my friend and source of inspiration in all foodways: Julia Child, where ever she may be cooking 

Julia

 Bon Appétit

Flavored Vinegars

These recipes are from the Techno Chemical Receipt Book published in 1887. Several recipes call for processing the ingredients by trituration, q.v. at the wiki entry.

 Table Vinegars.

Anise Vinegar. 

Convert the following ingredients into a coarse powder: Anise seed 5 parts, caraway seed 3/5 part fennel and coriander seed each 1/3 part each pour 5 parts of alcohol and 45 parts of good strong vinegar over the powders, close the flask hermetically, and let the whole digest in a warm place for 6 to 8 days, shaking frequently. Then strain the liquid off, press out "the residue, filter the vinegar, and put it up in bottles. 

Aromatic Vinegar.

Chop up leaves of rosemary, sage, and peppermint each 3/5 part, cloves, zedoary, and angelica root each 1/8 part; place all in a suitable flask, into which also pour 30 parts of crude vinegar, let it macerate for 4 days, then press out and filter. The product is a clear fluid of a reddish-brown color.

Dragonswoort (Estragon or Tarragon) Vinegar.

Pick the young tender leaves of dragons wort (Artemisia dracunculus L.) when the first flower-buds appear. Bruise the leaves, place them in a suitable flask, pour good wine-vinegar over them, and let the whole stand for a few days. Then strain the vinegar through a cloth, filter, and bottle. The bottles must be filled entirely full, as other wise the vinegar will not keep.

Another Receipt.

Mix 1 1/2 parts of oil of dragonswort with 3000 parts of pure good vinegar, let the whole stand for a few days, and then filter the vinegar.

Compound Dragonswort Vinegar or Herb Table Vinegar. 

Comminute leaves of dragonswort 100 parts, bean leaves 25 parts, leaves of basil and marjoram each 12 1/2 parts, bay leaves and orris root each 25 parts, cloves 3 1/2 parts, cinnamon 6 1/2 parts, and shallots 25 parts. Put all in a demijohn, pour 700 to 750 parts of pure good vinegar over it, let it stand on a warm place; and digest 5 to 6 days, frequently agitating it. Then strain the vinegar through linen, press out the residue with the hands, acid 25 parts of alcohol, and filter. Keep the vinegar in well-corked bottles in a cool place.

Spiced Dragonswort Vinegar.

Cut up and treat as above leaves of dragonswort 100 parts, fresh lemon peel 40 parts, cinnamon and coriander seed each 13 1/2 parts, fennel seed 3 1/2 parts, cardamoms 4/5 part, shallots 25 parts, and vinegar 700 to 750 parts.

English Spiced Vinegar.

 I. Pour 400 parts of pure vinegar and 50 parts of strong alcohol over the following ingredients, previously pulverized: Cloves 25 parts, cassia bark, mace, and orange blossoms each 3 1/2 parts. Let the whole stand in a warm place for 1 week, then strain through a cloth, press out the residue, and filter. 

II. Mix oils of cloves 96 drops, bergamot 70 drops, and camphor 15 1/2 grains, triturated with 4 3/4 ounces of strong acetic acid and 15 drops of acetic acid. Add to this mixture 2 gallons of pure vinegar, mix thoroughly, let the whole stand for a few days, and then filter through blotting paper. This vinegar must be kept in well-closed bottles and in a cool place.

Effervescing Vinegar.

Dissolve 500 parts of loaf sugar in 5000 parts of water, add lemon juice and rind cut up in the proportion of 1 lemon to 1 pound of sugar, 1 1/2 parts of the best cinnamon, and 12 1/2 parts of beer-yeast thoroughly washed. Place the whole in a barrel, and after agitating thoroughly let it ferment at a temperature of 55° to 60° F. When fermentation has ceased the vinous fluid is strained, and mixed with 1000 parts of best wine-vinegar previously boiled up, and yeast in the proportion of 1 spoonful to 5 pounds of sugar. The fluid is then distributed in several earthenware pots and exposed to a temperature of 77° to 88° F., until it has been converted into strong vinegar. This, while remaining in the pots, is mixed with 200 parts of French brandy and after two days bottled in small bottles. To each pound of this vinegar are added 2/5 part of crystallized tartaric acid pulverized and 1/5 part of bicarbonate of sodium. The bottles, as soon as the respective portion of the mixture has been added to each, must be corked as quickly as possible, and then stored in a cool place.

Herb Vinegar as Prepared in the Northern Part of Germany.

Chop fine the leaves of marjoram and thyme each 13 1/3 parts, bean leaves 6 1/2 parts, leaves of mint, basil, and celery each 3 1/2 parts, and 1 1/2 parts of fresh shallots. Pour 600 to 700 parts of good vinegar over the herbs, and treat in the same manner as given for compound dragonswort vinegar. 

Herb Vinegar as Prepared on the Rhine.

Chop up leaves of fresh dragonswort and woodroof [sic] each 20 parts, borage 1 1/2 parts, fresh mint 3 1/3 parts. Pour 600 to 750 parts of good vinegar over them, and then proceed as given for compound dragonswort vinegar. (woodruff) Lemon Vinegar. Remove the rind from 5 to 6 fresh lemons, press out the juice and let it stand in a tall covered glass until clarified. Then pound the rinds to a paste and pour 1 gallon of good vinegar over it. Let it stand for a few days, then pour off the vinegar, mix it with the clear lemon juice, filter and bottle the vinegar.

Orange Vinegar.

Peel 5 to 6 fresh oranges, press out the juice in a tall glass, and let it stand covered to clarify. Free the rinds from the white parts, pound them to a paste and pour 1 gallon of good vinegar over it, and proceed om the same manner as given for lemon vinegar. Pine-apple Vinegar. This excellent vinegar soon loses its flavor, and it is therefore best to prepare a small quantity at a time and keep it in hermetically closed bottles. Bruise the slices of pine-apple and pour over them a considerable quantity of vinegar. Close the vessel as tightly as possible and let it stand 12 hours; after which pour off the vinegar and filter it.

Raspberry Vinegar.

Crush perfectly ripe raspberries to a paste, let it stand 24 to 36 hours; then put 1 pound of this paste into a jar, pour 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of vinegar over it, place it in a warm place, but not in the sun, and shake frequently. After standing for several days strain the mixture through a cloth, add 1 gill of alcohol, mix thoroughly, and filter the vinegar. The bottles should be entirely filled and kept in a cool place.

Strawberry Vinegar.

Mash thoroughly ripe strawberries, let the paste stand in a warm place for 24 hours, then press out the juice, bottle and let it stand for a few days to ferment and to allow the slimy constituents to separate. Then filter the juice and put it in well- closed glass bottles which should be scrupulously clean, where it will keep for a long time. When it is to be used for flavoring, add a sufficient quantity of it to good vinegar.

Vanilla Vinegar.

Triturate in a porcelain mortar 4 parts of vanilla bean cut up with some white sugar, add 2 parts each of pulverized cloves and cinnamon, put all in a flask and digest it with 30 parts of strong alcohol for several days. Then add 250 to 270 parts of good vinegar, let it stand for some time, shaking it frequently, then strain through a cloth and finally filter. This vinegar is usually colored red.

Vinaigre à la Bardin.

Chop up: Leaves of dragonswort 20 parts, bay leaves 10 parts, angelica root 6 1/2 parts, capers and anchovies each 10 parts, shallots 6 1/2 parts, and pour 150 parts of good vinegar over them. Let the whole stand for 3 days, shaking frequently, then strain through a cloth, press out the residue, and filter the vinegar.

Vinaigre à la Ravigote.

Leaves of dragonswort 25 parts, bay leaves 6 1/2 parts, capers 13 1/2 parts, anchovies cut up fine 26 1/2 parts, cloves and horseradish each 3 1.2 parts, white mustard seed pounded fine 4/5 part, shallots 13 1/2 parts, and good vinegar 300 parts. Proceed as above.