Beurre monte, butter emulsified in water, has been a staple in many kitchens. Thomas Keller and David Bouley made them famous. Beurre blanc has been around for centuries. The faster more basic beurre monte is utilitarian. It can be seasoned and flavored in an instant. It may be used to enrich a sauce or as medium to butter poach lobster. It can and should be used to rest meat.
As a young cook I broke many a monte. And the emulsion separated at the most dreadful of times. At the end of a night of service we used to have left over beurre monte. This sauce would be discarded. Depending on how busy we were would depend on how much really good butter was wasted. These two issues have stuck with me for years. They were the guiding forces for creating our bulletproof beurre monte. The added benefit of our sauce is it uses less butter and allows more flavor to be percieved. The lactic notes of the butter are carried through the water. Think about how a splash of water added to single malt scotch enhances the experience. What makes the sauce bulletproof? It can be simmered. iIt can be cooled. It can be reheated. Occasionally we put it back into the blender to shear everything together. We have made this sauce with brown butter and assorted nut oils. The flavorings depend on what we are cooking. The model remains the same.
Bulletproof Beurre Monte
250 grams water
0.375 grams (.15%) xanthan gum
1.25 grams (.5%) gum Arabic
450 grams butter cut into medium dice
50 grams extra virgin olive oil or other flavored oil
2.25 grams (.3%) salt
Put the water in a blender and turn it on low. Increase the speed until a vortex forms in the water. Sprinkle the xanthan gum and gum arabic into the blender and increase the speed to medium high. Blend for 30 seconds to disperse and hydrate the hydrocolloids. Pour the thickened water into a pot set over medium high heat. When water comes to a simmer start whisking in the cold butter. Whisk the butter in in small amounts until it is fully emulsified. Put the hot butter mixture back into the blender and turn the speed on low. Increase the speed to medium and pour in the olive oil and the salt. Increase the speed to medium high and blend to fully emulsify the mixture. Pour the mixture back into a pot or bain marie and keep in a warm spot if using immediately. Otherwise cool the mixture down and reheat when ready to use.
Years Past
March 2, 2005
