Bordelaise Sauce
Bordelaise [bore duh LAZ] sauce is a great accompaniment for any grilled red meat, and Bordeaux wine is the key to this recipe’s rich taste. The author of this classic recipe is Georges Auguste Escoffier; it appears in his book Le Guide Culinaire, first published in French in 1903, which has become a classic on the art of cooking.
Ingredients
- 3 oz (85 g) demi-glace*
- 1¼ C (355 ml) Bordeaux wine (or a dry red wine)
- 2 T (30 g) shallots, finely chopped
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme or 1/4 tsp (0.1 g) dried thyme
- 1½ C (99 g) mushrooms, sliced
- 2 T (29 g) butter, divided
- ½ tsp (2.5 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 oz (57 g) beef bone marrow, poached & diced**
Directions
Warm demi-glace in a saucepan over medium heat. In a stockpot, bring wine, shallots, pepper, bay leaf and thyme gently to a boil; cook slowly until reduced to ¼. Add demi-glace and gently simmer another 15 minutes; strain. Sauté mushrooms with 1 T butter in a skillet; add to sauce. Finish sauce with remaining butter, lemon juice and bone marrow.
Serving Suggestion
Serve over a grilled steak, slow-roasted beef or other red meat; or with roasted or mashed potatoes.
*Purchase demi-glace at Williams-Sonoma, Whole Foods or amazon.com; or reduce a high-quality beef stock or consommé.
** Bone marrow provides extra richness to the sauce, and can be purchased at a local butcher, or it can be omitted.
- Prep time: 5 minutes.
- Cook time: 15 minutes.
- Makes 4 servings.