How To: Make bacon-sherry beurre blanc sauce

This creamy sauce goes best with a pan-seared rainbow trout, but you could also find other uses for this elegant seafood sauce, it doesn't have to stop at trout. This video recipe will show you just how to make the versatile sauce with rendered bacon and shallots, deglazed with aged sherry and veal stock, and thickened with butter. Keith Pooler of Bergamot Restaurant shows you the trick.

Beurre blanc sauces can be persnickety, as acidity of the wine mixed with dairy (butter) can cause the sauce to break if not combined properly. Keith shows that a slow addition of room-temperature butter whisked vigorously over low heat will yield a smooth, viscous texture.

INGREDIENTS:

* enough canola oil to coat pan
* 2 strips thick-cut bacon, cubed
* 1 shallot, thinly-sliced
* 2 tbsp aged sherry vinegar
* 2-3 tbsp veal stock (or beef stock)
* 2 sprigs thyme
* 1-2 sticks butter, cut into tbsp-sized pieces, room temperature
* pinch of salt (optional)

HOW-TO:

1. Coat pan with canola oil over medium-high heat
2. Add bacon and cook until browned, 2-3 minutes
3. Add shallots and sherry vinegar, reduce by ½ which should take about 1 minute
4. Add veal stock and thyme, reduce by ½, about 1 minute
5. Whisk in butter slowly, over low heat, 1 tbsp at a time. Keep an eye on the heat - too high will cause the sauce to break
6. Remove from heat and strain. Taste and add salt if necessary
7. Keep warm until use (but not over direct heat, or the sauce will break). It will hold for about 30-45 minutes