Bordelaise sauce is a classic French sauce combining red wine, beef broth, and fresh mushrooms that transforms simple steaks and roasts into restaurant-quality dishes. This version simmers for 30 minutes to achieve a rich, slightly reduced sauce finished with a cornstarch slurry for silky thickening.
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Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Stir in the garlic and shallot, and cook until the shallot has softened and turned translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, then stir in the mushrooms once the butter has melted.
Cook and stir the mushrooms until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the beef broth, wine, and Worcestershire sauce; season with the bay leaf and thyme, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Once simmering, season to taste with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, uncovered until the sauce reduces slightly, about 30 minutes.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water, and stir into the simmering sauce until thickened.
Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat; thin with a splash of broth if needed.
Yes. Prepare the sauce through step 6, cool, and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat, then add the cornstarch slurry to thicken just before serving.
Use beef broth or a dry white wine (adjust flavor to taste). Avoid cooking wines with added salt.
The cornstarch slurry (step 7) may not have fully dissolved or incorporated. Whisk it smoothly into cold water first, then stir slowly into the simmering sauce while whisking constantly.
Fresh mushrooms are preferred for texture and flavor. Frozen mushrooms will release more liquid and may make the sauce thinner; canned mushrooms lack the fresh flavor this sauce relies on.
After 30 minutes of simmering, the sauce should coat the back of a spoon lightly and reduce from its original volume by roughly one-quarter.
