BEURRE ROUGE—A SAUCE FOR ALL SEASONS

In its fanciest incarnation, Beurre Rouge (Red Butter Sauce) can start with a pound of butter and a good Cabernet Sauvignon—and include some very precise cooking and whisking.  But this very versatile and tasty sauce recipe can be whipped up quickly and is a wonderful compliment for everything from scallops to filet mignon—and even to leftovers!  Shown above—leftover Korean sticky pork and some sautéed shrimp over cheese grits.  In addition to red wine and butter, most recipes call for some finely grated or chopped shallots.  If they’re not available in your kitchen, rehydrated dried shallots work—the sauce is even good without them. 

• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 tblsp red wine vinegar
• ½ to 1 tblsp grated shallots (if using)
• 2-3 tblsp very cold butter—cut into small pieces and freeze for about ½ hour before using

Boil wine. shallots and vinegar down to ¼ cup—this should take about 10 minutes.  Add butter, one piece at a time—whisk mixture as each bit of butter melts.  That’s it—you’re done!

The Kitchen Hive