Appreciation post: A line cook in Portland told me my beurre blanc was too sharp

Honestly, I was plating a halibut dish last month and a new guy on my station just said 'Chef, that sauce is gonna fight the fish.' I tasted it again and he was right, the vinegar was way too forward. I started adding the cold butter cubes slower, letting each one melt fully before the next, and it made a huge difference. Anyone else have a simple tip that fixed a classic sauce for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jenny21d ago

I used to think the whole 'slow butter' thing was just chefs being fussy. Like, it all melts anyway, right? But I rushed a hollandaise once and it broke on me, total greasy mess. Now I treat it like the most important step, because it basically is.

willow_ellis1mo ago

Man, that's it exactly. It's the same with a lot of things, you rush the basic step because you've done it a thousand times. I see it with my own team, skipping the boring part to get to the "real" work. Slowing down the butter is the boring part, but it's the whole job.

the_eva1mo ago

Right? It's like the boring part is the actual skill. You can't build the cool thing without the quiet, slow foundation. Everyone wants to skip to the fun payoff, but the setup is what makes it work at all.

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