Champagne Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1 cup Champagne
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Champagne vinegar

Instructions

In a saucepan combine the shallots and champagne. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the split pod into the pan and add the vanilla pod halves. Bring to a boil and cook until almost all liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Add the heavy cream, bring to a boil and simmer until cream thickens and coats the back of a spoon, and is reduced by nearly 50% in volume, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter until smooth and strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar and serve immediately over fish or shellfish.

Note: If sauce is made in advance, keep warm in a bain marie over barely simmering water.

Yield: about 1 generous cup, 4 servings