Classic Sauce Espagnole Recipes

SAUCE ESPAGNOLE RECIPE: HOW TO MAKE ESCOFFIER'S FAMOUS MOTHER SAUCE

Steps:

• Add a teaspoon of beef fat to a sauce pan and set over medium heat.
• Add carrots, celery and onion to beef fat and fry for a couple of minutes till fragrant.
• Add tomato paste and fry for another couple of minutes.
• Pour in beef stock and add bay leaves, thyme and leek.
• Raise heat to high and let stock come to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce heat back down to medium and allow to reduce at a low boil for about an hour or until reduced by about half.
• Strain and set liquid into a bowl, making sure to press down on the solids as you do to release as much flavor as possible, then discard the solids.
• Return sauce pan to medium heat and add remaining tablespoon of beef fat.
• Once fat has melted, stir in flour with a whisk to form a basic roux.
• Cook roux, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn, for about 5-10 minutes until it develops a nutty aroma and a redish-brown color.
• Carefully an gradually stir in warm beef stock mixture whisking constantly to dissolve any lumps that may occur
• Bring sauce to a boil, back heat down to low and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
• If serving the Sauce Espagnole as is, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over beef.
• If you plan to create a derived sauce, hold back the seasoning until your final results have been achieved.

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!

ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook carrot and onion in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Add flour and cook roux over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until medium brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Add hot stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then add tomato purée, garlic, celery, peppercorns, and bay leaf and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 3 cups, about 45 minutes.
• Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.
• *Available at some specialty foods shops and cooking.com (stock requires a dilution ratio of 1:16; 1/4 cup concentrate to 4 cups water).

ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a stock pot, whisk the hot stock into the roux. In a large saute pan, heat the reserved bacon fat. When the fat is hot, saute the vegetables until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir the tomato puree into the vegetables and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato/vegetable mixture to the stock/roux mixture. Add the bouquet garni and continue to simmer, skimming as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes. Strain the sauce through a China cap.

CLASSIC SAUCE ESPAGNOLE

Steps:

• Put lard in a heavy saucepan over low heat, cook for 10 minutes. Add carrot, onion, bay leaf and thyme; stir while cooking over medium heat and until onions are well browned. Spoon off 2 or 3 tablespoons of the liquid fat. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half.
• While this mixture is reducing, melt the butter in another heavy saucepan, add the flour and brown over low heat. Remove from heat, add 2 cups of stock or combined boullion and meat glaze stirring with a whisk. Return to heat, bring to boil, add vegetable mixture. Reduce heat to very low and let cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming from time to time.
• Strain the sauce through an extremely fine sieve, pressing down on vegetables with a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup stock and again simmer over lowest heat for 3 hours. Put in refrigerator overnight. In the morning skim off fat. Peel tomatoes after drenching with boiling water. Add tomatoes to sauce along with remaining stock. Cook over moderate heat. After tomatoes have liquified, continue cooking until you have about 1 1/4 cups sauce remaining. Add salt and fresh pepper to taste. Use 2 or 3 tablespoons of sauce per serving.

CLASSIC BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Use or store the sauce: Use immediately or pour into a storage container. Spread the remaining 1 teaspoon of butter over the surface of the hot sauce to keep a skin from forming. Cool the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes before storing. Refrigerate, tightly covered, up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months.