Pan-frying steaks? Slip a bit in to take the sauce over the top. Prime rib roast dinner? A bit of demi-glace is killer. Roasting a chicken? Drizzle a bit onto the plate after you pour the jus. It’s one of those truly great ingredients.
Traditional demi-glace worth it if you want to go the distance
Traditional demi-glace is serious, serious business. This recipe is demanding but the real thing – that’s a labour of love. The famous French chef Auguste Escoffier captures it in his Guide to Modern Cookery (Le Guide Culinaire). That book is over 100 years old and still there’s not a better version of this sauce. His version goes like this. Roast off veal bones. Simmer for about 12-16 hours to make brown stock. Take some of the brown stock and reduce it until you literally have a glaze. Take more of it and make a sauce espagnole. That takes 4 or 5 hours. Then combine still more brown stock, the veal glaze, the sauce espagnole and some Madeira wine and reduce that to about 2 cups. 2 cups of nuclear powered flavour. Blow your mind flavour. I’ve done it a few times. My way isn’t as good – nothing comes for free – but it’s reasonably close and it’s way easier.
This version is way easier and almost as good
Roast some veal bones and aromatics. Add some tomato paste, cover with water and simmer for about a day. You can walk away while this happens. Check it every now and then to add a bit of water. Skim it as needed. You can sleep while this happens. It’s not hard. Just takes time. Remove the bones and strain. Cool it down. Skim any fat and then reduce. And reduce. Down to a few cups. Freeze it in an ice cube tray. Now you have flavour bombs ready to fire. Might not be quite as good as Escoffier’s version. But maybe you’ll actually make this demi-glace.
