Demi-Glace
This rich, incredibly tasty Demi-Glace sauce, with concentrated layers of flavour, is wonderful with most meats, and a fabulous recipe to have up your sleeve. Normally made with a combination of Espagnole sauce and brown stock, this recipe simplifies the process and uses easy to find ingredients without compromising on flavour.
Typically served with beef and lamb, this classic French sauce, is also wonderful with pork, duck, chicken and other poultry. Additionally, it can be used as a foundation, or to enrich sauces, in casseroles or with braised meats. If you have any left over, freeze it! If you freeze it in ice cube trays, they are very easy to add to sauces and boost their flavour, with no extra effort!
How to make a Demi-Glace
Collect all your ingredients together:
- onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- carrot, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped. No need to peel
- celery, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped.
- unsalted butter
- red wine
- plain/all-purpose flour
- good quality beef stock (or you could use lamb stock)
- tomato puree
- bay leaf
- fresh rosemary
- fresh thyme
- fresh parsley
- fine salt
- freshly ground black pepper
How to make Demi-Glace
- Prepare the vegetables:
- onion – peeled and roughly chopped.
- carrot – washed, trimmed and roughly chopped. No need to peel.
- celery – washed, trimmed and roughly chopped.
- Heat the butter in a cast iron pan or saucepan over a moderate heat, add the vegetables and cook for 8 – 10 minutes or until soft and lightly caramelised. Stir from time to time.
- Add the red wine and cook until it has almost disappeared.
- Now add the flour and cook, stirring, for around 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients –
- beef stock
- tomato puree
- bay leaf
- sprigs of rosemary
- sprig of thyme
- sprigs of parsley
- a little fine salt (add more later, if necessary)
- freshly ground black pepper
- Stir thoroughly, and bring to a gently rolling boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until reduced to 400ml.
- Remove any impurities from the surface of the sauce as it cooks.
- Strain the sauce through a sieve or colander. If you have more than 400ml, reduce the sauce still further. If you have reduced too much, top up with extra stock or water.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. How much salt you need will depend on how salty your stock is. Do not add too much too soon.
- Your sauce is now ready to serve.
Ingredients 
1 Prepare vegetables 
2 Cook 8 – 10 mins 
3 Add wine, reduce 
4 Add flour, cook 
5 Add remaining ingredients 
6 Cook 45 mins
7, 8 Strain 
9 Adjust seasoning 
10 Serve
Made this recipe?
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Demi-Glace
This rich, incredibly tasty Demi-Glace sauce, with concentrated layers of flavour, is wonderful with most meats, and a fabulous recipe to have up your sleeve. Normally made with a combination of Espagnole sauce and brown stock, this recipe simplifies the process and uses easy to find ingredients without compromising on flavour.
Ingredients
- 60g/½ medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped.
- 100g/1 carrot, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped. No need to peel.
- 75g/1 stick celery, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped.
- 30g unsalted butter
- 125ml red wine
- 15g plain/all-purpose flour
- 1 litre good quality beef stock (or you could use lamb stock)
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 – 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 4 sprigs of parsley
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
-
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
-
Prepare the vegetables:
– onion: peeled and roughly chopped.
– carrot: washed, trimmed and roughly chopped. No need to peel.
– celery: washed, trimmed and roughly chopped.
-
Heat the butter in a cast iron pan or saucepan over a moderate heat, add the vegetables and cook for 8 – 10 minutes or until soft and lightly caramelised. Stir from time to time.
-
Add the red wine and cook until it has almost disappeared.
-
Now add the flour and cook, stirring, for around 2 minutes.
-
Add the remaining ingredients:
– 1 litre beef stock
– 1 tablespoon tomato puree
– 1 bay leaf
– 1 – 2 sprigs of rosemary
– 1 sprig of thyme
– 4 sprigs of parsley
– ⅛ teaspoon fine salt (add more later, if necessary)
– ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-
Stir thoroughly, and bring to a gently rolling boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until reduced to 400ml.
-
Remove any impurities from the surface of the sauce as it cooks.
-
Strain the sauce through a sieve or colander. If you have more than 400ml, reduce the sauce still further. If you have reduced too much, top up with extra stock or water.
-
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. How much salt you need will depend on how salty your stock is.
-
Your sauce is now ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- chopping board and knife
- cast iron pan or frying pan
- sieve or colander
- saucepan
How traditional is this recipe?
Normally made with a combination of Espagnole sauce and brown stock, this recipe simplifies the process and uses easy to find ingredients without compromising on flavour.
How is Demi-Glace served?
Typically served with beef and lamb, this classic French sauce, is also wonderful with pork, duck, chicken and other poultry. Additionally, it can be used as a foundation, or to enrich sauces, in casseroles or with braised meats. If you have any left over, freeze it! If you freeze it in ice cube trays, they are very easy to add to sauces and boost their flavour, with no extra effort!
