Often called “White Bordelaise,” this traditional French sauce is enriched with white wine instead of red wine like Bordelaise sauce and is based on velouté sauce instead of demi-glace. The result is a silky, rich sauce, accented with tarragon, that beautifully complements roast chicken, turkey, veal, or hearty fish dishes.
Ingredients
2 cups dry white wine
4 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional as needed
In a saucepan, combine the wine, shallots, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup.
Whisk in the velouté and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Place the pan over low heat, whisk in the lemon juice and butter, and continue whisking until the butter melts into the sauce. Stir in the chopped tarragon, and season the sauce to taste with salt and additional pepper if necessary.
