Kitchen rescueSauces and emulsionsUsually saveable

How to fix broken beurre blanc

Take the pan off the heat and whisk in a splash of cold double cream or cold water. If that doesn't bring it back, whisk the broken sauce slowly into a spoonful of warm cream in a clean pan.

How you can tell

  • The sauce looks oily, with clear butter separating from the rest
  • It has turned thin and greasy instead of creamy
  • Small pale specks or a curdled look appear

Why it happens

Beurre blanc is an emulsion of butter in a reduced mixture of wine, vinegar and shallots. Unlike hollandaise, it has no egg yolk to hold it together, so it relies on the milk solids and water in the butter to keep the fat suspended. If the sauce gets too hot, the butter melts completely and the fat separates out, so the sauce breaks. If it gets too cold, the butter firms up and the sauce turns thick and lumpy instead. Adding the butter too fast can also overwhelm the reduction.

How to fix it

Option 1Whisk in something cold

  1. Take the pan off the heat straight away
  2. Add a splash of cold double cream or cold water
  3. Whisk hard until the sauce looks creamy again

Option 2Rebuild the sauce

  1. Warm a spoonful of double cream or a little of the reduction in a clean pan
  2. Whisk the broken sauce in slowly, a little at a time
  3. Keep the heat very low and stop if it starts to feel hot

Next time

  • Use cold butter cut into small cubes and add it gradually
  • Keep the heat low and move the pan on and off the hob as you whisk
  • Add a spoonful of double cream to the reduction before the butter to make the sauce more stable
  • Serve it soon, and keep it just warm until then

Terms on this page

General kitchen guidance, not food-safety advice. If food may be unsafe, for example undercooked meat or anything left out too long, follow the Food Standards Agency and throw it away if in doubt.