Demi Glace

To Make the Shortcut Espagnole Sauce

1. Cut ½ onion, 1 rib celery, and 1 carrot into small chunks.
2. Heat a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When it‘s hot, add 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Then, add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot.
3. Season with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the pot to the preheated oven and roast at 425ºF (220ºC) for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the bouquet garni. You can use a disposable mesh tea bag (left image) or a cheesecloth (right).
6. Here, I encase 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp dried thyme, 3 sprigs parsley, and 8 peppercorns in the cheesecloth.
7. Tie the corners tightly.
8. After 20 minutes, transfer the pot from the oven back to the stove over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp tomato paste and mix well.
9. Add 4 Tbsp red wine and 8 cups beef stock/broth and mix to combine.
10. Add the bouquet garni. Bring it to a boil.
11. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 1½ hours, until roughly 3 cups of broth remain in the pot. You can skim the foam and scum during reducing. I fill water in a measuring cup with a spout to clean the fine-mesh skimmer.
12. About 30 minutes before finishing the reduction process, start making the Brown Roux. Tip: If you are using this Demi-Glace for my Hayashi Rice recipe, you can start cooking the rice and marinating the beef.

To Make the Brown Roux

1. In a small saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp unsalted butter over medium heat. Add 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour).
2. With a silicone spatula, combine well. At first, it will have a crumbly texture.
3. Then, it will turn into foam and liquid. Continue to cook for 12–15 minutes, or until the color turns brown, like chocolate.
4. Set aside and wait until the Espagnole sauce is finished.

To Combine the Espagnole Sauce and Brown Roux

1. After cooking for 1½ hours, the Espagnole sauce has been reduced. Strain it through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or measuring cup. You will need 3 cups of the sauce.
2. Set the 3 cups aside for this recipe. If you end up with more than 3 cups of the Espangole Sauce, you can freeze the rest for future use.
3. When the brown roux is ready, put the pot back on the stove over low heat. Gradually add the Espagnole sauce to the brown roux, a little at a time, and stir to combine well before you add more sauce.
4. Once you have added all 3 cups and combined it well, the Demi-Glace is ready to use in your favorite recipe.