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Quick Brown Sauce

  • 10m Prep Time
  • 20m Cook Time
  • 30m Ready In

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  • Cuisine : World
  • Course : Sauce

About 3 ¼ cups Prepared in about 30 minutes, this sauce makes the wonders of brown sauce much more accessible. If made with mushroom stock, it is vegetarian.

Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • (2 tablespoons tomato paste)
  • ½ cup dry red or white wine
  • 1
    • 5 pounds meaty beef bones
    • 2 medium unpeeled onions, quartered
    • 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
    • 2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
    • 2 cups water or 1 cup white wine
    • 1 leek, halved lengthwise, well cleaned, and cut into 2-inch pieces
    • 3 or 4 sprigs parsley
    • 2 or 3 sprigs thyme
    • 1 bay leaf
    • ¼ teaspoon white or black peppercorns
    • (2 whole cloves)
    • Cold water to cover
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place in a lightly oiled roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes: 5 pounds meaty beef bones
    2. Add: 2 medium unpeeled onions, quartered; 2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces; 2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
    3. Roast, stirring occasionally to prevent the vegetables from burning, until the bones are well browned, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a stockpot. Carefully pour off the fat from the roasting pan and add: 2 cups water or 1 cup white wine
    4. Scrape up any browned bits, then pour the deglazed liquid into the stockpot. Add: 1 leek, halved lengthwise, well cleaned, and cut into 2-inch pieces; 3 or 4 sprigs parsley; 2 or 3 sprigs thyme; 1 bay leaf; ¼ teaspoon white or black peppercorns; (2 whole cloves)
    5. Add: Cold water to cover
    6. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 6 to 8 hours. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface during the first hour of cooking and add water as needed to keep the ingredients covered. Strain and cool uncovered, then refrigerate covered. Skim off any fat before storing or using. Use within 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
  • ¼ cup porcini mushroom powder or 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, finely ground
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons port
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • (Salt to taste)
  • (1 tablespoon butter)

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • (2 tablespoons tomato paste)
  • ½ cup dry red or white wine
  • 1 6 ½ cups Brown Beef Stock, Brown Poultry Stock, or Mushroom Stock I
  • ¼ cup porcini mushroom powder or 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, finely ground
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons port
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • (Salt to taste)
  • (1 tablespoon butter)

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Melt in a large wide saucepan over medium-high heat: 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter

  2. Step 2.

    Add and cook, stirring, until well browned, about 10 minutes: 2 large onions, finely chopped

  3. Step 3.

    Reduce the heat to medium and add: 2 tablespoons sugar; (2 tablespoons tomato paste)

  4. Step 4.

    Cook, stirring, until the sugar and tomato paste, if using, are deeply browned (do not burn them). Carefully whisk in: ½ cup dry red or white wine

  5. Step 5.

    Bring to a boil and boil until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in: 6 ½ cups Brown Beef Stock, Brown Poultry Stock, or Mushroom Stock I; ¼ cup porcini mushroom powder or 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, finely ground; ½ teaspoon dried thyme

  6. Step 6.

    Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and boil for 4 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl and set aside. Melt in the same saucepan over medium heat: 3 tablespoons butter

  7. Step 7.

    Whisk in and cook, stirring, until the roux is walnut brown, 5 to 8 minutes: ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  8. Step 8.

    Whisk in the strained stock along with: 2 tablespoons port; ¼ teaspoon black pepper

  9. Step 9.

    Bring to a boil, whisking, and simmer briskly until it is the consistency of heavy cream, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain again, if desired, and if using as is, blend in: (Salt to taste); (1 tablespoon butter)

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