Espagnole Sauce

Espagnole sauce, or brown sauce is one of the classic French mother sauces. This basic sauce is the foundation for so many sauces in French cuisine. Once you have made Sauce Espagnole, you can make Bordelaise, Truffle, sauce Chasseur, Madeira sauce and sauce Robert.

A large pot of brown stock will always be on the back burner of the stove in professional kitchens. While a true Espagnole sauce should start with a home beef stock, this recipe is made using store-bought beef broth or stock which means that it’s ready in a fraction of the time it would take to make a classic brown sauce. It’s an excellent way to dress up red meats or beef dishes.

Ingredients for sauce Espagnole

This recipe will make 2 to 2 1/2 cups of brown sauce. Save time by doubling the recipe and freezing some in cubes to use for a quick weeknight sauce.

• 6 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 small celery rib, diced
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 mushroom, chopped
• 5 cups brown stock
• bouquet garni (see video or notes)
• kosher salt and pepper

 

A note about mirepoix

Many French sauce recipes begin with a mirepoix. Mirepoix, or soffrito in Italian, consists of minced carrots, onions and celery. The holy trinity in Cajun cuisine, varies from a traditional mirepoix in that in substitutes green bell pepper for carrot. A mirepoix is what adds depth and flavor and makes a rich brown sauce.

A note about bouquet garni

A bouquet garni is another classic French addition to the culinary world. It consists of a bay leaf, a sprig or two of fresh thyme and a couple of cracked peppercorns. It can be wrapped in a leek leaf (if you have one!) or placed inside a small piece of cheesecloth or just wrapped with Culinary Twine for easy removal. A bouquet garni is often used in Stews and Soups as sauces. Here’s a video showing how to make a Bouquet Garni.

Instructions for a basic French brown sauce

• finely dice the carrot, celery and onion.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add vegetables and reduce heat. Cook vegetables until they are transparent and begin to brown. 

• Add the flour and stir occasionally. Flour will begin to brown. Use a wire whisk or spoon, scraping the flour and browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

• Watch to make sure the flour doesn’t burn. When flour is incorporated and deep golden brown color, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Flour should not burn.

• Stir in tomato paste, chopped mushroom, beef stock, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and bouquet garni.

• Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, reduce heat and partially cover pot. 
• Cook gently for 40-45 minutes occasionally stirring.

• Strain the veggies using a fine mesh sieve, pressing the back of the spoon against the veggies to remove as much liquid as possible. 

• Wipe our pan if necessary and return sauce to pan. Continue simmering sauce with lid partially covered until it is thick and shiny and the consistency of heavy cream.

• Use the finished sauce immediately or cool and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can also divide the sauce into Freezer Cubes and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Sauce will be very thick once it has chilled, but will thin once it has been added to pan juices.

How to use Espagnole sauce

If you are making Roast Beef, short ribs, or steaks, add 1/2 cup to the pan juices for a flavorful sauce. It’s also used as a base sauce for Sauce Bordelaise.

Here are some more classic sauces

Hollandaise Sauce

Mushroom Sauce

Green Peppercorn Sauce

Mint Sauce (for lamb)

Creme Anglaise (dessert sauce)