How to Reheat Beurre Blanc (Seafood + THIS Sauce… Yum!)

Beurre blanc is a simple yet delicious butter sauce that pairs great with seafood. The four most important ingredients in beurre blanc are cold butter, white wine, vinegar, and finely chopped shallots. As an emulsion sauce made of butter, reheating needs extra care or else the sauce will either congeal or split. 

You should reheat beurre blanc in low heat and whisk thoroughly to retain the creamy texture. Adding heavy whipping cream helps stabilize the emulsion if the sauce had started to separate. Heating appliances include a microwave, double boiler, a pan, or a chafing dish.

There are several methods to reheat beurre blanc without running the taste or texture. These include:

How to Reheat Beurre Blanc in a Chafing Dish

A chafing dish is probably the safest way to reheat beurre blanc and restoring the texture. You may need either some cold cream or iced water. Follow these directions carefully for best results.

1. Pour the beurre blanc into a small chafing dish or an oven-safe bowl. 
2. Light a sterno flame. 
3. Place the lower chafing dish with some water on a stand leaving some space below for the flame. 
4. Place the sterno flame underneath. 
5. Wait until the water starts getting hot though not at boiling point. 
6. Place the upper bowl with the beurre blanc on top of the warm water.
7. Wait for a few minutes for the beurre blanc to get a gradually warm to approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius). 
8. Add the iced water or cold cream gradually as you whisk thoroughly to form a pale-yellow color with creamy texture. 
9. Remove the beurre blanc from the flame and serve. 
10. If you intend to serve it later, keep in a flask to retain the heat and consistency. 

How to Reheat Beurre Blanc in a Microwave

Even though reheating with a microwave takes away some of the control you have with a chafing dish, you can still use and retain the consistency. However, the reheated beurre blanc will rarely taste as tangy or luxurious as the freshly made sauce. To reheat beurre blanc in a microwave:

1. Remove the frozen beurre blanc from the fridge. 
2. Place in a microwave-safe bowl. 
3. Heat for 15 seconds at moderate temperature settings. This softens the sauce while also melting the top half. The lower half remains partly icy. 
4. Whisk thoroughly until the top and bottom are of uniform temperature. 
5. Add some heavy cream and whisk thoroughly.
6. If it gets too thick add some white wine vinegar to thin it. Make sure to use the same vinegar used in the original cooking process. 
7. Place in a warm water bath and continue whisking until the sauce regains its emulsified state. 
8. Serve while warm.

How to Reheat Beurre Blanc in a Double Boiler

Reheating beurre blanc in a double boiler works in the same way as a chafing dish. 

1. Add some water to the bottom boiler. 
2. Let the water heat up. Don’t remove the beurre blanc from the fridge until the water starts bubbling. 
3. Reduce the heat for the water to simmer. 
4. Pour the sauce into the top boiler and place it on top of the bottom boiler. 
5. Whisk continuously until the sauce regains its creamy texture. 
6. You can add cream and vinegar one spoonful at a time to balance the texture. 
7. When properly heated, remove from the double boiler and continue whisking for another minute. 
8. Serve. 

How to Reheat Beurre Blanc in a Pan

You can use a pan on a stovetop to reheat beurre blanc. Use a deeper pan with a small base rather than a shallow pan with a wide base. The steps are:

1. Light the stove to medium heat. 
2. Place the pan in and pour some heavy cream. You may substitute with caramel. 
3. Once the cream starts getting hot remove the beurre blanc from the fridge. 
4. Reduce the heat to medium low. 
5. Pour the beurre blanc into the steaming cream and stir continuously. 
6. You can add a small amount of sugar to hold the sauce together. This also adds an extra layer of flavor. 
7. Remove the pan from the stovetop and pour the sauce into a serving bowl and whisk to the perfect creaminess. 
8. Serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Since reheating beurre blanc is prone to separating the emulsifications, we often get lots of questions. Here are the most common questions and our answers. 

How do I store beurre blanc?

When you have leftover beurre blanc, always store it in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer. You should double-bag since the sauce easily picks up flavors from other stored foods inside the freezer. 

Can I reheat beurre blanc multiple times?

Beurre blanc loses a lot of its luster when frozen then reheated. Thus, reheating a second time will result in a sauce far removed from the original. If you have to reheat, do it only once. 

How long does it take to reheat beurre blanc?

In a microwave, it takes 15 seconds with an extra two minutes to whisk in the warm water bath. Reheating beurre blanc in a pan takes about five minutes. A double boiler and chafing dish can take up to 20 minutes though these provide the best results.