Demi-Glace & Espagnole Sauce
Rich dark sauce perfect to add to others or by itself, this Demi-Glace from Espagnole Sauce is definitely a must in your kitchen!
Ingredients
ESPAGNOLE SAUCE ~ 2 1/2 CUPS
- 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. dried chervil (substitute tarragon)
- 4 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 4 cups cold low-sodium beef stock Footnote #1
- 3 tbsp. tomato purée tips & tricks
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 bay leaf
DEMI-GLACE
- 2 1/2 cups Espagnole sauce
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock Footnote #2
- 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 10-12 whole black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 parsley stems with leaves on tips & tricks
Directions
ESPAGNOLE SAUCE
- In a large pot over medium heat, add clarified butter and when sizzling, add mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) and cook for 6 minutes or until soft.
- Add chervil, stir well before adding flour; cook for a few minutes. Pour in beef broth and add tomato purée; season with black pepper and bay leaf. Stir well, bring the mixture to a boil then reduce back to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the sauce through a fine sieve resting on a bowl pressing down on the vegetables to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible; discard the solids.
- Pour the Espagnole sauce in a measuring cup to know the volume; transfer back to a clean pot.
DEMI-GLACE
- Pour in beef stock equal to the same amount of Espagnole sauce; i.e. if it was 2 ½ cups Espagnole sauce, add 2 ½ cups beef stock (*see footnote #2). Bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, prepare the spice/herb sachet. In a sachet or cheesecloth, combine thyme leaves, peppercorns, bay leaf and parsley; tie shut or use kitchen twine if using cheesecloth; set aside.
- When the sauce is boiling, add the sachet to it. Stir well, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the liquid has reduced by half, about 40 to 50 minutes.
- Retrieve the sachet and discard it.
- Line a fine sieve with cheesecloth over a large bowl. Pour the demi-glace through it; discard the cheesecloth and proceed with the recipe otherwise pour it in an ice cube tray and transfer to the freezer. When frozen, place demi-glace cubes in a re-sealable freezer bag for later use.
- If not using the demi-glace for another sauce, season it and serve it as is.
Notes
Footnote #: It's very important that the beef stock is either low-sodium or even no salt at all (read the blog for more info).
Footnote #2: If you have greater or lesser, add the beef stock accordingly to the amount of the end result of your Espagnole sauce.