Bordelaise Sauce
Bordelaise is a classic French red wine sauce from Bordeaux made with a deep reduction of merlot or cabernet sauvignon, shallots, herbs, and beef demi-glace. It's silky, richly flavored, and essential for steak and prime rib.
Bordelaise is a classic French red wine sauce from Bordeaux made with a deep reduction of merlot or cabernet sauvignon, shallots, herbs, and beef demi-glace. It's silky, richly flavored, and essential for steak and prime rib.
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Peel and finely chop 2 large shallots (about 1/2 cup). Trim the bottom 3 inches from 1/2 small bunch flat-leaf parsley. Place the shallots and parsley stems in a medium saucepan (save the parsley leaves for another use).
Add 2 cups red wine, 4 large fresh thyme sprigs, and 2 dried bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and skimming any foam if needed. Adjust the heat as needed so it remains at a steady boil and cook until syrupy and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make 1 1/2 cups demi-glace by following package instructions for dilution or reducing beef or veal stock. Juice 1/2 small lemon until you have 2 teaspoons.
Add the veal or beef demi-glace to the reduced wine. Reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, skimming if needed, until the liquid is reduced by half again (to about 1 1/4 cups) and thickened enough to coat the back of the spoon, 20 to 35 minutes.
Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a measuring cup with a spout; discard the contents of the strainer. Rinse and wipe out the saucepan. Pour the sauce back into the saucepan. Return to low heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon unsalted butter until it’s melted and the sauce is silky, about 1 minute.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice as needed. Serve spooned or alongside steak or prime rib beef.
Demi-glace substitutes: Although the flavor will not be as rich or intense, you can substitute demi-glace by reducing down a good-quality beef or veal stock by half (start with 3 cups).Storage: Leftover sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheat in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through.
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months; reheat in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through.
medium saucepan · fine-mesh strainer · measuring cup with spout
Yes. Instead of 1 1/2 cups demi-glace, reduce 3 cups of good-quality beef or veal stock by half, though the flavor will be less rich and intense.
About 50 to 60 minutes total: 15 minutes to reduce the wine, 20 to 35 minutes to simmer the sauce with demi-glace until thickened.
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through.
Use a medium to full-bodied dry red wine such as merlot or cabernet sauvignon. Avoid wine you wouldn't drink, as the flavor concentrates during reduction.
Not recommended. The butter (1 tablespoon) is whisked in at the end to make the sauce silky and add richness—it's an essential finishing step.
