Eating Wells Espagnole 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!

EATING WELL'S ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Finely chop carrot, onion, thyme and bay leaf together in a food processor.
• Transfer vegetable mixture to a non-aluminum saucepan. Sprinkle cornstach over minced vegetables and toss to coat evenly.
• Stir in white wine and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes, or until mixture is warm.
• Stir in stock. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring freqently and scraping bottom of pan to prevent sticking.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, or until mixture has reduced to 2 cups. Continue to stir often and make sure mixture does not stick to bottom or sides of pan.
• Stir in tomato puree and simmer about 45 minutes longer, continuing to stir often. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine sieve, discard solids.

SAUCE ESPAGNOLE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour to make a smooth paste. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and lowering the heat as needed to prevent burning, until the roux is several shades darker than peanut butter, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in the carrots, celery and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, then whisk in the white wine and cook until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Don't worry if the vegetables get stuck in the whisk; as you add more liquid, they will release and combine with the sauce. Whisk in the stock, 1 cup at a time, and lower the heat to a simmer.
• To make a bouquet garni, place the peppercorns, parsley, thyme and bay leaves and in a square of cheesecloth and tie it into a bundle with kitchen twine. Submerge the bouquet garni in the sauce.
• Simmer the sauce, using a spoon to skim off any fat or scum that rises to the surface, until it reduces by half and has the consistency of gravy, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Remove the bouquet garni, then strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Use as desired as a base for sauces.

EATING WELL'S MARCHAND DE VIN SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the espagnole sauce, red wine reduction and garlic puree in a small non-aluminum saucepan. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until heated through.
• Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH MUSHROOMS AND ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Remove any strings from beef if tied, then pat beef dry and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until just smoking, then sear beef 1 piece at a time, turning with tongs, until well browned, about 5 minutes each. (If beef tenderloin pieces are too long to fit into skillet, halve each crosswise, then brown 2 pieces at a time.) Transfer beef to an 18- by 12-inch flameproof roasting pan, reserving skillet.
• Roast beef in oven until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center of each piece registers 120°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer beef to a cutting board, reserving roasting pan, and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 25 minutes. (Beef will continue to cook as it stands, reaching 130°F for medium-rare.)
• While beef roasts, heat butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then reduce heat to moderate and cook mushrooms, stirring, until liquid they give off is evaporated and mushrooms are pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• While beef stands, straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add Sherry and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Add Sherry mixture and espagnole sauce to mushrooms and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until warm. Cover skillet and remove from heat.
• Cut off and discard strings from beef and cut meat crosswise into 10 or 20 slices. Pour any juices on cutting board into sauce and heat over moderate heat, stirring, until hot.
• Serve beef with sauce.