Sauce Espagnole

A basic sauce. Can be used for Sauce au vin Rouge, sauce Poivrade (for game), Sauce Piquante, among others. Freeze this in batches for future use. Escoffier: page 7.

• Ready In: 49 hrs
• Yields: 5 liters

Ingredients

• 626  g  brown  roux, softened
• 12000  ml  brown stock
• 150  g salt pork, coarse dice
• 249  g carrots, coarse dice
• 150  g onions, coarse dice
• 2  sprigs thyme
• 2  bay leaves
• 499  g tomato puree
• 200  ml dry white wine

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Pour tomato puree on ungreased jellroll pan and place in preheated oven.
3. Cook undisturbed until paste has turned a light brown color. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
4. Place 8 liters of stock in a heavy pan, bring to boil.
5. Add the roux, whisking constantly while returning to boil.
6. Reduce heat, simmer slowly and evenly.
7. While simmering stock/roux mixture, place pork in another heavy pan and fry to extract fat.
8. Add the vegetables and flavoring (not the wine) and fry until light brown in color.
9. Drain the fat from the pan, scrape the ingredients into the simmering stock.
10. Deglaze the pan with the wine, reducing it by half.
11. Add the reduction to the sauce, stirring gently.
12. Simmer for another hour, skimming frequently.
13. Pressing lightly, pass the sauce through a conical strainer into a clean pan.
14. Add the reamining 2 liters of stock, bring to a boil.
15. Reduce heat and simmer a further 2 hours.
16. Again, run through the strainer. Stir resulting liquid gently until completely cool.
17. Refrigerate overnight.
18. The next day, add the remainder of the stock and the tomato puree.
19. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly.
20. Reduce heat. simmer gently and evenly for an hour, skimming carefully to remove and remaining solids, foam or other impurities.
21. Pour slowly and gently through a strainer lined with fine cotton. Do not press or squeeze. Let it drain undisturbed.
22. When there are no drips left, remove the strainer and cloth. Stir the liquid until completely cool.