Espagnole

🥘 Ingredients

• butter 1 stick
• Mirepoix 1 cup
• onions (alternative) ½ cup
• carrots (alternative) ¼ cup
• celery (alternative) ¼ cup
• all-purpose flour ½ cup
• whole black peppercorns 10
• tomatoes 2 cups
• parsley ½ cup
• Brown Beef Stock 8 cups
• salt
• pepper

1. 1

   Melt in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven butter .
2. 2

   Add Mirepoix or finely chopped onions (alternative) , carrots (alternative) , and celery (alternative) . Cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to color.
3. 3

   Add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour . Cook, stirring until the flour is thoroughly browned.
4. 4

   Stir in whole black peppercorns , drained, peeled and finely chopped canned tomatoes or 2 cups tomato purée and coarsely chopped parsley .
5. 5

   Add Brown Beef Stock .
6. 6

   Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half, 2 to 2.5 hours. Stir occasionally and skim off the fat as it rises to the top. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream, no thicker.
7. 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, then the additional stock or water. If using this sauce as is, season with salt and pepper to taste.