Béarnaise

[ ber-neyz, bey-er-; French bey-ar-nez ]

noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) a sauce of egg yolks, shallots, tarragon, butter, vinegar, and sometimes white wine and chopped chervil.

Béarnaise

/ ˌbeɪəˈneɪz /

noun

1. a rich sauce made from egg yolks, lemon juice or wine vinegar, butter, shallots, herbs, and seasoning

Word History and Origins

Origin of Béarnaise¹

< French, equivalent to Béarn district in SW France + -aise, feminine of -ais -ese

Word History and Origins

Origin of Béarnaise¹

C19: French, from Béarn in SW France

Example Sentences

When I asked Herman about some of the more imaginative, unique offerings in the cookbook, like mussels Cannelloni or mussels bearnaise — and one particular cooked dish that stood out to me which was essentially a tiny, pan-fried mussel cutlet — he responded: "Once I understood how to handle this specific product, when I knew everything about it’s season and which method brings the best out of them, I simply cannot go wrong with this beautiful product. The product is leading me."

From Salon

This cut would also be delicious with herby chimichurri or a rich bearnaise and goes with just about any holiday side dish.

From Seattle Times

On the menu were “Russian hors d’oeuvres, caviar and other light delicacies,” followed by meat dishes that included “a leg of mutton with béarnaise sauce,” a “boeuf à la gelée” and “chicken financière.”

From Washington Post

We set up the cart earlier the way we learned in TWA flight attendant training: We rolled silverware into white napkins and placed warmed dinner plates beside them on the second rack; the serving bowls of chateau potatoes and white asparagus sat next to the silver gravy boats of Bearnaise sauce; and in the center, the showpiece that a TWA first class dinner was famous for, a double chateaubriand.

From Salon

A rich, herby bearnaise sauce served on the side of a pan-seared steak.

From Salon