Basic Brown Sauce
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When it comes to sauces, I can’t imagine cooking without them. I personally think they wrap up a dish so beautifully. That wasn’t always the case in my culinary journey. When I just got out on my own, cooking wasn’t my “forte” and more often than I can remember, sauces saved my dish.
 
One who really helped me during my learning process was my mother. How many times did I call her in the middle of a recipe because I was “stuck” and didn’t know what to do? Every time it happened, I wished I’d participated more in the kitchen as a child…
 
There’s a sauce that I requested from her right after I moved into my new apartment and it was her brown sauce. The reason behind it was this was easy for me to make a Salisbury Steak with some sautéed onions and mashed potatoes – I was playing it safe in the kitchen back then although I still managed to burn a few recipes here and there!
 
In French cuisine, there’s what is called “The Classic 5 Mother Sauces”. I shared one of them with you already; Béchamel Sauce aka White Sauce and one of its secondary sauces is Mornay Sauce. Besides Béchamel, there are 5 others; Hollandaise, Espagnole, Velouté, Soubise Sauce and Sauce Tomate.
 
Although extremely similar, my “own” mom’s Basic Brown Sauce is not an Espagnole sauce because there is no Tomato Purée in it. It might be a small factor but it makes a big difference in taste. Do I also use the French classic Espagnole Sauce in my recipes? Of course! As long as the subtle flavor from the tomato purée goes well with the selected recipe.
 
Talking about flavor, there’s a herb that is quite popular in French cuisine and it’s chervil. I grew up with my mother using it in her recipes. This fine herb has great flavors of anise, celery and parsley which is where it’s “French parsley” nickname comes from. A great substitute for this herb would be tarragon or parsley.
 
In my mom’s recipe, she uses chervil. Because of its delicate flavor, many chef’s/cook’s add this herb at the end of cooking. Adding this fine ingredient in the roux is absolutely acceptable because the flour mixture will absorb and keep its flavor.
 
This Basic Brown Sauce is a fabulous condiment to have in your recipe folder. It’s easy and fairly quick to make. After squeezing out the solid ingredients, you are left with a beautiful smooth sauce ready to be used. From there, you can always modify it for another recipe… that’s the beauty of it. Next time you need a tasty brown sauce, here’s an amazing one from my mother.
Bon Appétit!
 
Here are more fabulous sauce recipes for you to enjoy…
Hawaiian Style Teriyaki Sauce
Enchilada Sauce
Iguana’s Mushroom Sauce
Homemade Tzatziki Sauce
Triple Chili Wing Sauce
Citrus Cranberry Sauce
Turkey Gravy without Drippings
and click on this link for more sauce recipes… Recipe Category • Marinades & Sauces
 

 
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Basic Brown Sauce

Basic Brown Sauce

This flavorful Basic Brown Sauce recipe can be used on its own or as a base for gravy. Although not the Classic Espagnole Sauce, it's tasty!
5 from 3 votes
Servings 2.5 cups

Hover to scale

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Passive time 0 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tbsp. clarified butter tips & tricks
  • 1 cup red onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced tips & tricks
  • 1/2 cup carrots, diced
  • 1/2 tsp. chervil (substitute tarragon)
  • 4 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups cold low-sodium beef stock
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
  • ground Himalayan sea salt, to taste
  • 1 large bay leaf

Directions
 

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter. When it starts sizzling, add onions, carrots and celery. Stir and cook for 6-7 minutes or until soft, stirring often.
  • Add chervil, combine well before adding flour; stir to coat and cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw taste.
  • Add cold broth, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot. Add pepper, salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium; simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Pour the sauce through a sieve, squeezing the solid ingredients before discarding them. Use it or pour it back to the pot if making another recipe with it like an Espagnole Sauce.
  • If not using right away, place a piece of wax paper on top, making sure it touches the surface, to prevent a skin formation.

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