Espagnole Sauce - the Primer continues...

In the most simplest terms, Espagnole is a brown sauce made from brown stock, thickened with a brown roux with the addition of tomatoes, additional seasonings and bacon. You've probably eaten a version of it in a restaurant with your Filet Mignon or other meat. I generally only use a sauce on leftover meat at home. When I'm roasting meat, I deglaze the pan with broth, generally don't thicken it, and serve that as a sauce - technically gravy since it's made with pan drippings. Espagnole is used in making a Demi-Glace as well, so if you're interested in that, you need to know how to make this. I love serving vegetables with a brown sauce and sauces are a great way to make something useful from meat bones. I love using every last bit of the animal that gave its life to nourish me, a good practice to return to and help us reconnect with our food.

This sauce has many components and takes a while to make, but, it can be made ahead and reheated. If you follow each step patiently, you'll be amazed at the resulting flavor. Remember, in a professional kitchen, making sauces is one person's job - the Saucier. However, you too can make this sauce. If you love recipes with a process, this will be right up your alley. This recipe makes a large quantity for two reasons: one, if you're going to make it, make a good amount of it and two, if you want to make Demi-Glace, you'll need the quantity. If you want to make a smaller amount, just examine the ratios and adjust the math accordingly. Keep the bouquet garni about the same though.

Espagnole is the French word for Spain. The history of naming this sauce is about as clear mud. It could have something to do with Henry VIII's first wife who was a Spaniard. It could be that the French thought people from Spain generally had "brown" skin. It could be an even crazier story, because when chefs are under the gun, you just never know what level of creativity will emerge. We pull from the depths of our experience and weave a narrative to rise to the occasion. Back then, "a gun to my head" wasn't just an expression. Suffice to say, Espagnole is a delicious, multipurpose brown sauce and here's how to make it. Note - I have explained the various cooking terms in the recipe. The carrots, onion and celery together is what we call a mirepoix, in case you come across that term somewhere else, you are using it here;

Espagnole Sauce

yield 1 gallon

6 qts brown stock

16 ozs brown roux (1 cup butter, 1 cup flour)

1 1/2 lbs good quality thick cut bacon, cut into lardons (1/4" slices)

1 large onion, diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 cup tomatoes, diced (with seeds, juice and skin)

1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme, 3 sprigs parsley, 1 small leek cut in half or 1/2 of a large leek, all tied together with kitchen string)

salt and white pepper to taste

Make a brown roux by melting butter over low heat in a large soup pot (enough to fit the stock) , add the flour and whisk into a paste. Cook over low heat until color is medium brown. Let cool. Meanwhile, heat stock in another large pot to a simmer, remove any foam or "scum" on the surface. When roux has cooled, very slowly whisk in the hot stock (using a large ladle or 2 cup glass measuring cup for example), whisking constantly to achieve a consistent, smooth texture. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, uncovered.

Clean out the pot used for heating the stock and render the bacon (heat on medium to melt the fat). Saute carrots, onion and celery in the bacon fat to light brown. Add tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, still on medium - or low if getting burnt. Add thickened stock to pot, whisking to combine and to scrape browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add bouquet garni, salt and white pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer for one hour, uncovered, to reduce and allow bouquet garni to flavor the sauce. Taste and make sure the sauce is thick and flavored well. Continue to simmer longer if necessary until thickeness and flavor are achieved. Strain sauce through medium mesh strainer and serve. Save remaining sauce to make a demi-glace, if desired. Enjoy!