Demi Glace

Demi Glace is a rich brown sauce that is the base for many other sauces.  Once I have the basic Demi Glace down pat, I will start messing around with those sauces!  The Demi Glace recipe is pretty easy and straightforward to make, it just takes a very long time to get the various parts together to reach the final creation.

Demi Glace

2 cups hot Veal Stock
2 cups hot Espagnole Sauce
1 bouquet garni (see below)

Directions

In a large stock pot, combine the Espagnole Sauce, veal stock and bouquet garni together, over medium-high heat. Bring up to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and a simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 30 minutes. Remove bouqet garni and discard. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Strain through a fine sieve to ensure the demi glace is clear.

Makes about 2 cups Demi Glace.  The sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for 6 to 8 months.

Bouquet Garni

A bouquet garni is usually made by tying together parsley, thyme and a bay leaf with kitchen twine or enclosing them in cheesecloth. The herbs add yet another layer of flavour to stocks and sauces.

15 flat-leaf parsley stems
2 fresh thyme stems or sprigs
2 bay leaves

Tie up all ingredients in a few layers of cheesecloth and add to the sauce.

Cook's Note: I was seriously considering skipping this step because I couldn't see what it could possibly add flavour-wise, but WOW! The parsley and bayleaf add a really nice fresh herbaciousness to the final sauce. Well worth the time spent making it, I just wish I had 2 or 3 times as much final product to show for the effort!