Beurre Blanc

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Diana Smith of Cortland, Ohio for this from-the-mouths-
of-babes food funny:

Little Johnny and his family lived in the country, and as a result
seldom had guests. He was eager to help his mother after his
father appeared with two dinner guests from the office. When the
dinner was nearly over, little Johnny went to the kitchen and
proudly carried in the first piece of apple pie, giving it to his father
who passed it to a guest. Little Johnny came in with a second
piece of pie and gave it to his father, who again gave it to a guest.
This was too much for Little Johnny, who said, "It's no use, Dad.
The pieces are all the same size."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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The secret to a good beurre blanc is to make sure the butter
doesn't get too hot - you don't want to actually melt the butter,
but rather heat it just enough to make it creamy and semi-liquid.
It is a popular sauce on fish and seafood, but can also be used
to add an elegant finish to poultry and vegetables. Don't plan on
eating this every day unless you have a cardiologist on retainer,
but do allow yourself an occasional indulgence for this most
delicious sauce.

Beurre Blanc

1/2 cup (125 ml) dry white wine
2 Tbs (30 ml) white wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely chopped
8 Tbs (1 stick, 110 g) cold butter cut into at least 8 pieces
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Combine the wine, vinegar, and shallot in a small saucepan
and simmer over moderate heat until liquid is reduced to about
3 tablespoons (45 ml). Remove the pot from the heat and whisk
in the butter one piece at a time, whisking constantly, until the
sauce is creamy and almost white in color. Place it over the
burner for a second or two only if necessary to liquify the butter.
Adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper, strain if desired,
and serve immediately. Makes about 1/2 cup (125 ml).
Received on Thu Apr 13 08:29:15 2006