Espagnole Sauce Recipe

Espagnole Sauce Recipe

  • 1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups hot beef stock or reconstituted beef-veal demi-glace concentrate
  • 1/4 cup canned tomato purée
  • 2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
  1. Cook carrot and onion in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Add flour and cook roux over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until medium brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Add hot stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then add tomato purée, garlic, celery, peppercorns, and bay leaf and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 3 cups, about 45 minutes.
  2. Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.
  3. Available at some specialty foods shops and (stock requires a dilution ratio of 1:16; 1/4 cup concentrate to 4 cups water).