Emeril Lagasse’s Lime-Mint Beurre Blanc

1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
½ cup dry white wine
¼ cup thinly sliced shallots
1 2-inch strip lime zest
¼ cup whole mint leaves
1 garlic clove, smashed
½ bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 tablespoon chiffonade of mint or finely chopped mint

Place all the ingredients except the heavy cream, butter, and chiffonade of mint in a 1-quart saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce until the liquid is nearly evaporated, 12 to 14 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the pan and reduce by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and reduce the temperature to medium low. Add a few cubes of the butter to the pan and use a whisk to stir constantly until the butter is melted. Return to the heat and add a few more pieces. Continue to place the pan on and off the heat, adding a few cubes of butter to the pan and whisking until all the butter is used. Remove the sauce from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Stir in the chiffonade of mint and keep warm until ready to serve – do not allow the sauce to boil or it will separate.

Yield: about 1¼ cups


Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's Food of Love Productions, 2008