Demi-Glace made easy!

Demi-glace is one of the most popular sauces used in restaurants to go along with roast meats. In the food industry, this sauce is made in very large batches as it's easily stored in the freezer and can last for prolonged periods of time. When they make the sauce it can take up to 18-24 hours to finish. The reason for the prolonged preparations time is due to the huge size pot used to make it. They have to reduce the sauce by at least half, some reduce it even further to create a more intense flavour. ( you can imagine how long it will take to reduce 50L down to 25L)   The sauce consist of two different parts, first part being a clear beef stock and the second part being espagnole sauce. (espagnole sauce is essentially a thickened brown beef stock with tomato paste added as well as a brown roux). So today I'm going to give you a quick and easy recipe for the espagnole sauce which you will then turn into a Demi-glace sauce. (Sauce making is a true skill and art form, in hotel kitchens and some restaurant there are chefs which only make sauces and nothing else, they are called Saucier Chef.) 

Ingredients 

• 300g beef bones(ask your butcher to cut them into small pieces) 
• 150g Mire Poix (refer to the Culinary Glossary) 
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sprigs of parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig of rosemary 
• 6 pepper corns 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 1 tsp oregano 
• 2 tsp tomato paste 
• 1 tbs plain flour 
• 500ml clear beef stock (follow same steps as Chicken stock, just replace white wine with red) 
• 250 ml cold water 
• 150ml red wine

Method 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C/392f 
2. While your oven is pre-heating, place your bones onto a oven sheet pan so they are ready to go into the oven once heated.
3. Now you can start by preparing your mire poix (carrots, celery, leek and onions), you can cut them into medium sizes. 
4. Place your bones in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the are golden brown
5. Just before you remove your bones place a pot onto the stove on high heat, once hot place your mire poix and bouquet garni(herbs and aromatics) into the pot and stir while they caramelise.
6. Once your bones are ready, drain the fat from the sheet pan and then add them to the mire poix.
7. Take the sheet pan and place over hot stove hob and use the 15o ml of red wine to deglaze the pan, once deglazed add to the pot. 
8. Now add your tomato paste and cook till sticky. 
9. Add in your flour, and cook till it starts to caramelise on the bottom of the pot. 
10. Once your flour starts to caramelise on the bottom allow to cook for another minute or two and then add in your cold water and stir once or twice. 
11. You will need to skim your stock frequently to get the remaining impurities and fat of the top of the stock. 
12. Allow to simmer for 25 minutes and then strain espagnole, discarding the bones, mire poix and bouquet garni. 
13. Place back into the pot and add 1/3 of the clear beef stock and allow to reduce by half. ( you still need to skim the stock if there are still impurities on the top) 
14. Once reduced by half add in the remaining stock and reduce by half once more, once it has reduced and is at a good sauce consistency place the demi-glace through a fine sieve. 
15. If you want a clean sauce with little to now black spot, you can place it through a muslin cloth (cheese cloth), but you might need to reduce it some more to get the correct consistency.  
16. Just before using add a little bit of butter (about a tsp) and whisk it into the sauce to give it a wonderful glossy finish. 

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