Demi-Glace, classic sauce primer part 4 & why it's worth it

Let's start with why it's worth the effort: you can make this ahead, it delivers unparalleled flavor, you can garner unprecedented oohs and aahs along with bragging rights and major street cred with your friends, you've already made homemade stock and Espagnole sauce - take it all the way, and finally, you'll really love the flavor.

Let's also talk about bouquet garni as well and take the scary out of this cooking term. It is simply a combination of herbs to add flavor. You can tie them together with kitchen string or make a bundle using cheesecloth. Personally, I prefer tying them all together with string. I always have string and never have cheesecloth. Usually you would use parsley, thyme, sage and bay leaf tied onto either a piece of celery or leek. If you are using cheesecloth, add peppercorns and garlic cloves.

Now for the sauce, you'll need a brown stock. Traditionally this is veal, lamb or (brown) chicken. You can use beef as well. If you've noticed grocery store/shelf stable (read; yuck!) demi-glace labels, they will specify which stock they've used (before dehydrating it and/or adding preservatives and chemicals to it) by saying; beef demi-glace, lamb demi-glace, etc. For all of the hype though, this sauce might be the easiest one to make. There are 4 ingredients and it only requires time on the stove to simmer and reduce, simply summarized. The work is put into it in the beginning with the making of stock and the espagnole sauce, so if you already have these two, you're good to go. The sauce is finished with Medeira, a fortified wine that brings a ton of unique flavor to the party. From here, compound sauces can be made. I actually chuckled when I wrote that sentence. It all seems tremendously compounded already, but wait, there's more: a Sauce Bigarde is an orange flavored demi-glace, Bordelaise Sauce starts with demi-glace and adds bone marrow and a reduction of red wine, Sauce Bourguignonne adds Burgundy wine, mushrooms butter and shallots, and the list goes on.

Remember that while this pretty little sauce is simmering on the back burner for 2 (and up to 4) hours, you can be doing other things. You just need to skim the top for foam and unwanted things. I think this sauce could be served on top of just about any meat you wish or vegetables as well. I hope you enjoy the fruits of your labor, and some added Sauce Boss cred as well. Enjoy!

Demi- Glace

4 cups Espagnole Sauce

4 cups hot brown stock (beef, veal, lamb, chicken)

1/4 cup Medeira wine

1 bouquet garni with tarragon sprig

Add hot stock to espagnole sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add bouquet garni. Allow to simmer uncovered on low, skimming off any foam or pieces of anything, and reduce by half the volume. Use a wooden skewer or chop stick or something similar to mark the beginning volume of the sauce, allow sauce to stain the wood for beginning reference point. After an hour, check reduction process. Once reduced by half, add Medeira wine and gently whisk to incorporate. Adjust seasoning as appropriate. Enjoy!