
Sake Butter
Makes 2/3 CupIngredients
* | 2 tablespoons peeled and very thinly julienned fresh ginger |
* | 1 tablespoon minced shallots |
* | 1 tablespoon unsalted butter |
* | 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon quality sake, such as Momokawa |
* | 1 tablespoon heavy cream |
* | 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into large dice |
* | 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice |
* | Kosher salt |
Instructions
1 | In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, sweat the ginger and shallots in 1 tablespoon of butter for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of sake, bring to a boil and reduce by two thirds, about 3 minutes. |
2 | Add the heavy cream, bring to a boil and reduce by half, about 2 minutes. |
3 | Add the pieces of cold butter to the sauce, bit by bit, while whisking constantly over medium-high heat. The butter will emulsify, creating a thick, creamy sauce. Once all the butter has incorporated, remove the pan from the heat. |
4 | Whisk in remaining teaspoon of sake and the lime juice. Season to taste with salt. |


Notes
- A beurre blanc is a classic French butter sauce. It is delicate and will "break" or look curdled if you try to keep it over direct heat for too long. The best ways to keep a beurre blanc warm is to either place the container of sauce in a pan of hot water for a half hour or so, or pour it directly into a small Thermos(R) and screw the cover on. The Thermos method will keep your beurre blanc warm for an hour or more.
Source
From Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen (Morrow, 2001)