Basic Brown Sauce Recipes

ESPAGNOLE: A BASIC BROWN SAUCE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Fold the bay leaf, thyme, parsley stems, and peppercorns in a square of cheesecloth and tie the corners with a piece of kitchen twine. Leave one string long enough so that you can tie it to the handle of your pot to make it easier to retrieve.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat until it becomes frothy.
• Add the mirepoix-onions, carrots, and celery-and sauté for a few minutes until lightly browned. Don't let it burn.
• With a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the mirepoix a little bit at a time until it is fully incorporated and forms a thick paste (this is your roux ).
• Lower the heat and cook the roux for another 5 minutes or so, until it just starts to take on a very light brown color. Again, don't let it burn.
• Using a wire whisk, slowly add the stock and tomato purée to the roux, whisking vigorously to make sure it's free of lumps.
• Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the sachet. Simmer for about 50 minutes, or until the total volume has reduced by about 1/3, stirring frequently to make sure the sauce doesn't scorch at the bottom of the pan.
• Use a ladle to skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and retrieve the sachet.
• For an extra smooth consistency, carefully pour the sauce through a wire mesh strainer lined with a piece of cheesecloth.
• If you won't be serving the sauce right away, keep it covered and warm until you're ready to use it. Otherwise, serve hot and enjoy!

BROWN SUGAR SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt butter or margarine. Add flour and salt; stir until smooth.
• Stir in brown sugar. Blend thoroughly and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles and is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir in boiling water. Return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Add vanilla extract and stir until well blended. Serve hot.

BASIC BROWN SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter. When hot, add the mirepoix, stir, and cook for 6-7 minutes or until soft, stirring often. Add chervil, stir well before adding flour; stir to coat and cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw taste of it. 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 heat to medium; simmer for 30 minutes.
• Pour sauce through a sieve before using, squeezing the ingredients and then discard them. Use it or pour it back to the pot if making another recipe with it. Makes 2 ½ cups.

EASY BROWN GRAVY

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour; cook and stir until mixture is golden-brown and smells like cooked pie crust, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in 1 cup of broth.
• Stir remaining broth, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard into the mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking, and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

BASIC BROWN SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the veal shank and knucklebones in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 45 minutes. When the veal pieces are brown, brush them with 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and season again. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and return the pan to the oven for 15 more minutes. Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Saute the mirepoix vegetables and thyme in the butter to coat then stir in the remaining tomato paste and continue cooking until the vegetables are caramelized. Pour in the red wine to deglaze, stir. Transfer the browned bones to the stockpot. Whisk in the water and broth. Add the bouquet garni and bring the sauce to a boil. Simmer gently for about 3 hours, skimming periodically. Strain the sauce through cheesecloth or a chinois to remove the bones and vegetable solids. Continue to cook for 1 hour more, skimming any foam that rises to the top, until the sauce is reduced to 2 cups and nicely thickened. Taste for strength and seasoning. May whisk in a pat of softened butter to finish the sauce.
• Serve with meats or poultry.

QUICK BASIC BROWN SAUCE

Steps:

• Sauté the chopped shallots or scallions in the butter. Gradually add the wine and bouillon. Let it come to a boil and add the seasonings. Cook down for a few minutes. Add beurre manié to thicken to taste. Let simmer for a few minutes and strain.
• Variations
• Bordelaise Sauce: Add a little poached marrow to the brown sauce. Correct the seasoning and add a touch of chopped parsley.
• Sauce Diablé: Add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and a few dashes Tabasco to the brown sauce. Stir well.
• Sauce Périgueux: Add finely chopped truffles to the brown sauce.

HOMEMADE BROWN SAUCE

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan with 150ml cold water and 1 tsp salt. Cover the surface with baking parchment. Simmer over a low heat for 50 mins until the fruit softens. Cool for 30 mins.
• Transfer to a blender and blend, then decant into containers while warm. Seal and store in the fridge. Will keep for up to 2 months.