Sauce Espagnole (Brown Sauce)
- 20m Prep Time
- 2h Cook Time
- 2h Ready In
About 5 cups To increase the usefulness of this time-consuming sauce, prepare it and freeze in cubes (see Keeping Sauces) or 1-cup amounts, then reheat and use as is or as a base for any of the brown sauce variations that follow.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (4 ounces) butter or ½ cup beef or veal drippings or bacon fat
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- ¼ cup finely chopped carrots
- ¼ cup finely chopped celery
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 cups drained and finely chopped canned whole tomatoes or 2 cups tomato puree
- ½ cup coarsely chopped parsley
- 1 8 cups Brown Beef Stock (opens in new tab)
- (Salt and black pepper)
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 1 stick (4 ounces) butter or ½ cup beef or veal drippings or bacon fat
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- ¼ cup finely chopped carrots
- ¼ cup finely chopped celery
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 cups drained and finely chopped canned whole tomatoes or 2 cups tomato puree
- ½ cup coarsely chopped parsley
- 1 8 cups Brown Beef Stock
- (Salt and black pepper)
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Heat in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven: 1 stick (4 ounces) butter or ½ cup beef or veal drippings or bacon fat
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Step 2.
Add and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown: ½ cup finely chopped onions; ¼ cup finely chopped carrots; ¼ cup finely chopped celery
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Step 3.
Add and cook, stirring until the flour is thoroughly browned: ½ cup all-purpose flour
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Step 4.
Stir in: 10 black peppercorns; 2 cups drained and finely chopped canned whole tomatoes or 2 cups tomato puree; ½ cup coarsely chopped parsley
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Step 5.
Add: 8 cups Brown Beef Stock
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Step 6.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half, 2 to 2 ½ hours. Stir occasionally and skim off the fat as it rises to the top. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream, and no thicker.
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Step 7.
Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir occasionally as the sauce cools to prevent the formation of a skin. If necessary, thin with additional stock or water. If you are using this sauce as is, season to taste with: (Salt and black pepper)