It takes a couple of processes to make demi-glace for classic sauces like peppercorn sauce or mushroom at home. But you should try it out before deciding against it (even if it’s just once). Demi-glace is a richly prepared brown stock, reduced until it forms a meaty flavoured glaze.
The whole process starts by roasting a lot of meat bones, including beef and veal in order to make a basic brown stock that takes hours to simmer and reduce. For this recipe, you will need a gallon of brown stock and a gallon of Espagnole sauce, with a gallon of demi-glace Making a classic demi-glace is time-consuming and quite exhausting.
Ingredients
For Demi-glace
1. 1 gallon Espagnole sauce
2. 1 gallon of brown stock
3. 1 bouquet garni
For Espagnole sauce
1. Salt
2. 2 cups of chopped onions
3. 1/4 cup of bacon fat
4. 1 cup of chopped celery
5. Ground black pepper
6. 1/2 cup of tomato puree
7. 1 1/2 cups of brown roux
8. 1 bouquet garni
9. 1 cup of chopped carrots
10. 1 gallon of brown stock
For Brown stock
1. 16 ounces of tomato paste
2. 4 cups of chopped onions
3. 2 cups of chopped carrot
4. 1 bouquet garni
5. Salt and pepper
6. 16 quarts of water
7. 4 cups of dry red wine
8. 2 cups of chopped celery
9. 8 pounds of veal marrow bones (sawed into 2 inches)
10. 6 pounds of beef marrow bones (sawed into 2 inches)
Procedures for the Brown Stock
Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Roast the bones in a roasting pan for at an hour. Remove the bones from the oven then brush with the tomato paste.
Mix the onions, carrots, and celery together in a mixing bowl. Lay the vegetables over the bones and return to the oven. Roast for 30 minutes and drain any fat.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine in the roasting pan, with a wooden spoon. Put it all in a large stockpot and add the bouquet garni with salt to taste.
Add enough water to allow the content to boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the stock for 4 hours. Remove from heat and strain through a China cap or tightly meshed strainer.
Procedures for the Espagnole Sauce
Whisk the hot stock into the roux, in a stock pot. Heat the bacon fat in a large saute pan. Add vegetables, salt, and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes. Then, stir the tomato puree into the veggies and cook for another 5 minutes.
Mix the tomato and vegetable mixture to the roux mixture. Add the bouquet garni and simmer the sauce for about 45 minutes. Strain the sauce through a China cap or tightly meshed strainer.
Procedures for the Demi-glace
Combine the Espagnole sauce, brown stock, and bouquet garni together in a stock pot over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to a lower heat and simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about one and half hours. You can skim the liquid for impurities. Season with pepper and salt. Strain through a China Cap or a tightly meshed strainer.