Quick Basic Brown Sauce Recipes

BASIC BROWN SAUCE

Steps:

• Saute onion in butter in a heavy skillet until onion is tender; discard onion. Cook butter over low heat until it begins to brown. Add flour, stirring until smooth ( I find that a whisk works best). Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add bouillon granules, and gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in pepper. Serve with beef or pork.
• Bordelaise Sauce: Substitute 1/3 cup dry red wine for 1/3 cup of the water, and stir in 3/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes and 1/4 teaspoon dried whole thyme; increase pepper to 1/4 teaspoon.
• Mushroom Brown Sauce: Saute 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter; drain and stir into Basic Brown Sauce. Serve with beef.

EASY CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat, cool slightly and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold.

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!

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.

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.

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.

QUICK BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk together all ingredients.