Grateful Grits

The inspiration for this sauce comes from a restaurant I visited in Atlanta, where I fell head over heels for a particular dish. While my sauce isn’t an exact replica, it’s where I drew my inspiration. Beurre Blanc, in essence, is an emulsified butter sauce infused with an acid, such as white wine or vinegar. This velvety, rich concoction pairs beautifully with a wide range of seafood. I chose to serve it alongside baked red fish, though the restaurant featured it with shrimp and grits. You’ll find numerous variations, including recipes with scallops and more.

This recipe isn’t overly time-consuming, but it does require some prep work before you dive into cooking. Start by taking a stick and a half of butter from the fridge and letting it soften, which usually takes a few hours. While the butter is doing its thing, take a quarter cup of dried tomatoes and rehydrate them in a bowl of water for at least thirty minutes. Once they’ve softened and plumped up, drain the water and gently pat them dry with a paper towel. Proceed to mince the tomatoes and blend them with the softened butter. To ensure a thorough mix, I recommend using a hand mixer. After achieving a homogeneous mixture, shape it into a compact log using plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour. When you’re ready to cook, slice the tomato butter log into ten to twelve portions, as these will be added during the cooking process.

Now, let’s dive into the cooking process. Start by finely mincing a shallot and cooking it over medium heat in one portion of the tomato-infused butter. Once the shallots have softened, introduce the white wine and reduce it by half. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and begin adding the slices of tomato butter. Keep adding a new piece just before the previous one has fully melted, and be diligent about whisking to prevent the butter from separating. Once all the butter has melded beautifully, incorporate the heavy cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Take a moment to taste your sauce at this stage. If you’re satisfied with the flavor, strain out the tomato pieces and shallots. Keep the sauce warm until you’re ready to serve.

Please refer to my baked fish recipe and grits blog for the perfect meal!

Tomato Beurre Blanc

Ingredients

¼ cup packed soft dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)-make sure they are not smoked it alters the flavor

1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, softened

Salt

1 shallot diced

2/3 cup of white wine

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ cup of heavy cream

Pepper

*Sugar may be needed but not always

Directions

1. Set butter out at least two hours prior. Soak tomatoes in water until softened. At least thirty minutes. Once the tomatoes are soft, pat them dry with a paper towel and dice them. Using a hand mixer, blend the butter, salt, and tomatoes together and form into a block. Wrap plastic wrap around it and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
2. Cook shallots in one slice of butter. (There should be at least 10-12 slices of butter) Once the shallots are softened, add the wine, and reduce by half.
3. Reduce heat to low and add one piece of butter whisking until almost melted and add another piece of butter. Continue this process until all the butter is melted. Continue to whisk so that the butter doesn’t separate. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
4. Taste your sauce. If you are happy with the flavor, strain out the tomatoes and shallots. Serve over your choice of seafood. If the sauce is too tart add a little sugar and taste again.