Demi-glace, brown sauce – One of the most important sauces in fine cuisine

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30 g butter
• 150 g shallot(s), finely chopped
• 200 g carrot(s), finely chopped
• 100 g celery, finely chopped
• 100 g leek, only the white part, finely chopped
• 150 g tomatoes, ripe, peeled, seeds removed
• 1 bouquet garni, tied with 2 green leek leaves, 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary and parsley
• 1 ½ liters veal stock, dark or chicken stock
• 30 g butter, chilled and cut into cubes
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground black

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

the basis of all dark sauces.

This lighter and more digestible variation of traditional demi-glace requires no flour or Madeira, yet the finished sauce is clear, rich, and rich. It’s served with dark meat or as a base for other sauces. I like to adapt this sauce as a red wine sauce or wild mushroom sauce. For now, however, I’m just writing down the basic recipe. May this basis inspire your imagination. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan. Sauté the shallots, carrots, celery, and leeks, stirring constantly, until the vegetables begin to brown. Stir in the tomatoes, bouquet garni, and stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat. Simmer for 45-50 minutes, reducing the sauce by one-third. Skim off any suspended solids. Strain the reduction through a fine sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean saucepan (for a Madeira demi-glace, add 100 ml of Madeira at this point after straining). Simmer for another 45-60 minutes. The sauce should reduce by a quarter. The finished demi-glace should have a thick, syrupy consistency and cover the back of a spoon. To thicken the sauce, gradually whisk in ice-cold butter cubes. Allow the sauce to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 250-300 ml.