Espagnole Sauce, one of the classic “five mother sauces” of French cuisine
Espagnole Sauce, one of the classic “five mother sauces” of French cuisine, is a dark, rich, and deeply flavorful sauce. It is commonly used in meat dishes and serves as a base for other sauces; for example, demi-glace or bordelaise sauces are built upon espagnole sauce.
It can also be used in stews and baked dishes to add extra flavor. This sauce is ideal for adding richness, especially to hearty dishes. It can be used on its own or combined with other sauces to create more sophisticated flavors.
Ingredients
- 50 g butter
- 50 g flour (to make a dark roux)
- 1 liter beef stock (preferably veal stock)
- 100 g onion (diced)
- 50 g carrot (diced)
- 50 g celery (diced)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2-3 black peppercorns
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook the mixture on low heat until it turns a caramel color. This process will take about 10-15 minutes.
- In a separate pot, sauté the diced onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil over medium heat. Once the vegetables soften, add the tomato paste and stir, cooking for a few more minutes.
- Combine the roux with the sautéed vegetables. Slowly add the stock while continuously stirring to avoid lumps.
- Add the bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns, and optional garlic. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about an hour until the sauce thickens and the flavors meld together. Stir occasionally.
- After cooking, remove the bay leaves and strain the sauce through a fine sieve.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.