Saffron beurre blanc is a classic French sauce that will elevate your dishes to new heights. This beurre blanc recipe is simple to make and the saffron gives it a lovely color and delicate flavor. Pair this luxurious sauce with fish, chicken, or even vegetables!
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What is Beurre Blanc Sauce?
Beurre blanc, meaning “white butter” in French, is a velvety emulsion sauce known for its luscious texture and rich flavor. It originated in the Loire Valley of France and has become a staple in French cuisine.
A basic beurre blanc is one of those sauces you just have to trust will work out in the end. You start by cooking shallots, white wine, and white wine vinegar, then you reduce it to nothing… so, now what?
You slowly whisk in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, and in a couple of minutes, it starts to come together and you’ve got a silky, sublime sauce that pairs beautifully with a variety of dishes, particularly seafood.
What Flavor is Beurre Blanc?
Beurre blanc sauce offers a unique and delicate flavor that is both rich and tangy. The combination of white wine and vinegar provides a subtle acidity, while the shallots add a gentle sweetness and depth.
The star ingredient, butter, lends a velvety smoothness and a luxurious mouthfeel to the sauce. The overall taste is balanced, with a harmonious blend of acidity, creaminess, and a hint of sweetness.
In our saffron beurre blanc sauce, we take this already wonderful sauce to a whole new level by infusing it with saffron. Saffron adds a beautiful golden color and a distinct flavor.
Can You Make Other Beurre Blanc Flavors?
In addition to this saffron butter sauce, you can create several different beurre blanc flavors. Lemon and garlic are two popular additions to an easy beurre blanc sauce.
For a beurre rouge, red wine and red wine vinegar is substituted for the white wine vinegar and wine. I wouldn’t recommend adding saffron to a beurre rouge as the flavor and color would overwhelm it.
What Do You Serve With a Beurre Blanc?
Nothing complements pan seared scallops more beautifully than this saffron sauce. The delicate flavors of the fish and saffron reduction marry together for an exquisite taste.
This saffron sauce recipe will also go well with any type of fish (especially salmon), a simple chicken preparation or even vegetables.
How to Make Saffron Beurre Blanc
To make this recipe for beurre blanc sauce, you’ll need shallots, white wine, white wine vinegar, butter and saffron threads.
Bring all the liquid, shallots and saffron threads to a gentle simmer and reduce to about 1/4. It will be nearly dry. Don’t worry! The butter gets its flavor from the remaining liquid and shallots.
Slowly whisk in the butter a cube or two at a time until all the butter has been incorporated and the sauce is thickened slightly and is shiny.
Strain the shallots. You’ll want a perfectly smooth sauce.
Spoon the sauce onto a plate and place scallops, fish or chicken on top of the beurre blanc.
For a basic beurre blanc sauce, you can simply follow the same recipe but eliminate the saffron threads.
Saffron beurre blanc sauce adds a touch of elegance to any dish. The velvety smoothness of the butter, the tangy notes from the wine and vinegar, and the enchanting aroma and flavor of saffron make it a sauce worth savoring.
Saffron Beurre Blanc
Ingredients
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 6 Tablespoons shallots minced (about 2 large)
- pinch saffron about 7 or 8 threads
- 8 ounces unsalted butter
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine white wine, shallots, saffron threads, and vinegar in a saucepan. Simmer on a medium heat until reduced by about 1/2. There will be hardly any liquid left.
- Slowly whisk in butter a little at a time on the lowest heat until blended. Now, you'll see it turning into a sauce!
- Season with kosher salt.
- Strain the sauce through a fine strainer onto the scallops.
- Make ahead tip. You can have the reduction ready, and while you are searing your scallops, you can begin to finish your Saffron Beurre Blanc.
Nutrition
Lavanda Michelle says
That looks very delicious, it looks light but also filling. I would love to have this during the weekend and a small lunch. Thanks for sharing!
Heather says
I’ve never heard of beurre blanc before, but looking at the ingredients, I know I would love it. Can’t wait to try it.
Everything Enchanting says
This looks so yummy I have never had Beurre Blanc sauce before, so will have to give your recipe a try
Rosey says
Sauce can make or break a meal. this looks fantastic.
Mosaic Art says
This looks so so good!!! I can’t wait to make this, looks delicious! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe.
Melissa Cushing says
I love scallops! This recipe looks amazing and you are seriously making me need to get my hands on some fresh delcious Scallops to make for dinner.
Kelsey says
A deceptively simple-to-make sauce that tastes every bit as gourmet as it sounds and elevates even the most basic of dishes! As a plant-based alternative to scallops, I served this sauce with sliced yellow squash cooked in olive oil (it was delicious!), and plan to use it for fish and chicken dishes in the future.
Cynthia says
love that you used it on squash!