Sauce fit for a Bourbon; steak fit for Uncle Monty

Merde! I forgot some links and I’ve opened as can of worms here. Huguenots, Bourbons…religious wars and bad French.
Several regional dishes were planned but a late night meant an unexpected demand from J (avec a hangover) for steak au frites avec sauce béarnaise. Actually, she wanted a steak haché or probably a royale with cheese, but I’m a fascist and I’m cooking for IMBB23 over at Cucina Testa Rossa.
Although the origins may be obscure they are attributed to a sauce made for King Henry IV of France, the first of the Bourbon kings of France who was born in Béarne.
Béarn no longer exists but was on the border with Spain in the Pyrénéés and, before you fall asleep, was part of the Kingdom of Aquitaine.
The sauce, however, is as popular as ever. It was invented for the opening of a restaurant in Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris, Le Pavillon Henri IV.
I’ve always had a gift for making these eggyolk-based emulsions. They simply take the time, effort and the sort of attention given to a risotto. That means you never leave it alone.
First grab a good handful (perhaps two if your hands are small) of tarragon, a fresh bayleaf, ideally chervil (at a push parsley), a couple of sprigs of thyme, a decent sized glass of white tarragon vinegar (you can bulk this out with white wine), at least a teaspoon of crushed white peppercorns and three or four sliced shallots.
Boil and reduce to a couple of tablespoons.
Put two egg yolks in a bain marie. Add the reduction and a knob of butter.
Whisk in and gradually add about 200g – you’ll need to use judgement here. Just keep whisking in little bits and add some salt to taste.
Griddle a couple of porterhouses (sirloin), rest for five to ten minutes while you grab some frites from McDonalds.
Cut off the grizzly fatty bits and feed the big cat, Uncle Monty (sound), who awaits his Weekend Cat Blogging debut.

Slice and arrange on the plate, spoon over sauce, add chips.
We drink with a wine from another little known outpost of France, a Clos Pierre Pinot Noir from the Yarra Valley. It’s sort of a Burgundy made by the stark bollock naked winemaker, by Burgundy veteran Pierre Naigon.
Sweet.

Food fascist

1. Porterhouse tastes better than poofy fillet.

2. Don’t leave the pan for Christ’s sake!

3. Safeway and other supermarkets please stock chervil for my last minute supplier. On second thoughts I’ll plant some.

4. McDonald’s chips really are the best. Don’t even think about oven chips or cooking your own (giant railway sleeper type chips are a another matter, dish and country).

5. Avoid salad with this one.

6. Wonder how and why the cat became known as Uncle Monty.

7. Demand more booze.

Tagged with: IMBB23 + French, weekend cat blogging