There has been quite a bit of talk about demi-glace and difficulty buying a product. Thought I would post a couple of ideas for making it and/or sauce which can be used successfully in place of.
Demi-Glace is half brown sauce and half brown stock which is reduced by half.
Demi-Glace
Recipe By :The American Culinary Federation
1 quart Brown Veal Stock
1 quart Espagnole (Brown) Sauce
Combine the stock and the espagnole sauce in a heavy-gauge pot and simmer over low to moderate heat until reduced by half.
Skim the sauce frequently as it simmers. Strain the sauce. The sauce is ready to serve now, or it may be cooled and stored for later use.
Demi-Glace - Braune Kraftsoe
1/2 pound unsalted butter -- (2 sticks)
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 cup sliced white button mushrooms
3 Roma tomatoes -- coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups full-bodied red wine -- such as Burgundy
7 cups beef stock
1/2 cup chopped leek
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the shallots and saut until translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms and tomatoes and saut until any liquid they release has evaporated.
Stir in the tomato paste, then add 1 cup of the wine to deglaze, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer until almost dry, then deglaze with 1 more cup of the wine. Simmer until almost dry again.
Add the remaining cup of wine, stock, leek and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, knead together the flour and remaining butter to form a paste (beurre mani). Whisk this paste into the demi-glace and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce is smooth and velvety.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve and cool the demi-glace in an ice bath. Pour into a jar or plastic container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Makes 7 cups
Demi-glace is another French sauce that every self-respecting restaurant keeps on hand. As an apprentice, I prepared it thousands of times for use in a variety of other sauces and dishes.
Also called brown sauce, demi-glace is traditionally prepared with what the French refer to as espagnole sauce (a mixture of brown stock, vegetables, brown roux and tomatoes), brown stock and Madeira or sherry. I have simplified this method to create a flavorful sauce you can keep on hand to add intense flavor to a number of dishes.
-----------------------
And here is a sauce which can be used in place of a demi-glace for ease. It’s from Gourmet Magazine – 1996 – this whole dish for a filet is great, but you can also just make the sauce.
PAN-SEARED FILET MIGNON W/MERLOT SAUCE
6 thick filet mignon -- (1 1/4")
~2 cups Merlot Sauce
MERLOT SAUCE:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsps red-wine vinegar
1 cup finely chopped onion -- (~1 med.)
3 Tbsps unsalted butter
2 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
2 cup rich veal stock or demi-glace
MERLOT SAUCE: In a small heavy saucepan bring water w/sugar to a boil, stirring till sugar is dissolved.
Boil syrup, w/out stirring, till a golden caramel.
Remove pan from heat & carefully add vinegar down the side of pan (caramel will steam & harden). Cook caramel over mod. heat, stirring, till dissolved, ~3 min. & remove pan from heat.
In a heavy saucepan cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring, till golden, ~5 min.
Stir in wine & boil till mixture is reduced to ~1 cup., ~ 15 min.
Stir in stock or demi-glace & boil til, mixture is reduced to ~2 cups, ~10 min.
Remove pan from heat & stir in caramel.
Pour sauce thru a sieve into a bowl. Sauce may be made 2 days ahead, cooled completely, & chilled, covered. Reheat sauce before serving.
Pat filets dry and season w/salt & pepper.
In a large heavy skillet heat 2 T. oil (or clarified butter if you have) over moderately high heat till hot but not smoking & brown filets on both sides, w/out crowding, ~5 min. total.
Transfer filets to a shallow baking pan & roast in middle of 425° oven for ~10 min. for med-rare.
------------------
Here’s a ‘tutorial’ I posted a number of years ago about Mother Sauces which might be interesting to refresh our memories of them. (it’s a long bugger! )
http://www.forums.cuisineathome.com/ubbt...true#Post110997
While I did a search for Mother Sauces, I ran across this thread – Denise, what a past 5 years you have had!!!!
Denise
http://www.forums.cuisineathome.com/ubbt...=true#Post21469
Demi-Glace is half brown sauce and half brown stock which is reduced by half.
Demi-Glace
Recipe By :The American Culinary Federation
1 quart Brown Veal Stock
1 quart Espagnole (Brown) Sauce
Combine the stock and the espagnole sauce in a heavy-gauge pot and simmer over low to moderate heat until reduced by half.
Skim the sauce frequently as it simmers. Strain the sauce. The sauce is ready to serve now, or it may be cooled and stored for later use.
Demi-Glace - Braune Kraftsoe
1/2 pound unsalted butter -- (2 sticks)
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 cup sliced white button mushrooms
3 Roma tomatoes -- coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups full-bodied red wine -- such as Burgundy
7 cups beef stock
1/2 cup chopped leek
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the shallots and saut until translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms and tomatoes and saut until any liquid they release has evaporated.
Stir in the tomato paste, then add 1 cup of the wine to deglaze, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer until almost dry, then deglaze with 1 more cup of the wine. Simmer until almost dry again.
Add the remaining cup of wine, stock, leek and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, knead together the flour and remaining butter to form a paste (beurre mani). Whisk this paste into the demi-glace and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce is smooth and velvety.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve and cool the demi-glace in an ice bath. Pour into a jar or plastic container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Makes 7 cups
Demi-glace is another French sauce that every self-respecting restaurant keeps on hand. As an apprentice, I prepared it thousands of times for use in a variety of other sauces and dishes.
Also called brown sauce, demi-glace is traditionally prepared with what the French refer to as espagnole sauce (a mixture of brown stock, vegetables, brown roux and tomatoes), brown stock and Madeira or sherry. I have simplified this method to create a flavorful sauce you can keep on hand to add intense flavor to a number of dishes.
-----------------------
And here is a sauce which can be used in place of a demi-glace for ease. It’s from Gourmet Magazine – 1996 – this whole dish for a filet is great, but you can also just make the sauce.
PAN-SEARED FILET MIGNON W/MERLOT SAUCE
6 thick filet mignon -- (1 1/4")
~2 cups Merlot Sauce
MERLOT SAUCE:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsps red-wine vinegar
1 cup finely chopped onion -- (~1 med.)
3 Tbsps unsalted butter
2 cup Merlot or other dry red wine
2 cup rich veal stock or demi-glace
MERLOT SAUCE: In a small heavy saucepan bring water w/sugar to a boil, stirring till sugar is dissolved.
Boil syrup, w/out stirring, till a golden caramel.
Remove pan from heat & carefully add vinegar down the side of pan (caramel will steam & harden). Cook caramel over mod. heat, stirring, till dissolved, ~3 min. & remove pan from heat.
In a heavy saucepan cook onion in butter over moderate heat, stirring, till golden, ~5 min.
Stir in wine & boil till mixture is reduced to ~1 cup., ~ 15 min.
Stir in stock or demi-glace & boil til, mixture is reduced to ~2 cups, ~10 min.
Remove pan from heat & stir in caramel.
Pour sauce thru a sieve into a bowl. Sauce may be made 2 days ahead, cooled completely, & chilled, covered. Reheat sauce before serving.
Pat filets dry and season w/salt & pepper.
In a large heavy skillet heat 2 T. oil (or clarified butter if you have) over moderately high heat till hot but not smoking & brown filets on both sides, w/out crowding, ~5 min. total.
Transfer filets to a shallow baking pan & roast in middle of 425° oven for ~10 min. for med-rare.
------------------
Here’s a ‘tutorial’ I posted a number of years ago about Mother Sauces which might be interesting to refresh our memories of them. (it’s a long bugger! )
http://www.forums.cuisineathome.com/ubbt...true#Post110997
While I did a search for Mother Sauces, I ran across this thread – Denise, what a past 5 years you have had!!!!
Denise
http://www.forums.cuisineathome.com/ubbt...=true#Post21469
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
www.achefsjourney.com