Génoise Sauce

Ingredients

• 40 grams pistachios
• 25 grams pine nuts
• 1 small spoonful cold béchamel sauce (white roux-based sauce)
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 liter oil
• 2 medium lemons
• 3 spoonfuls herb purée (herbes)

Instructions

1. Grind the pistachios and pine nuts (or almonds as substitute) in a mortar and reduce to a fine, smooth paste, adding the cold béchamel sauce as you work.
2. Pass this paste through a fine sieve and place it in a bowl with the egg yolks, fine salt, and pepper.
3. Whisk the mixture together thoroughly, then mount the sauce (émulsionner) with the oil and the juice of the lemons, as you would a mayonnaise.
4. Complete the sauce by folding in the herb purée. This purée is made by blanching the parsley leaves, chervil sprigs, tarragon, chives, and fresh salad burnet (equal quantities) for a few minutes, draining them well, refreshing them in cold water, pressing them forcefully to remove excess moisture, and passing them through a fine sieve.
5. This sauce generally accompanies cold fish.