Although a foundation sauce, brown sauce is not a sauce in its own right. Only the sauces made from it will appear on menus.
Brown sauce may be described as:
(a) brown meat stock thickened with a mixture of dripping and flour made into a third stage roux, with the addition of coloured fried vegetables, herbs and tomato purée, all cooked together for 6-8 hours;
(b) brown meat stock thickened with flour that has previously been dried and colored brown in a hotplate or in a hot cupboard at a very low temperature, with the addition of colored fried vegetables and tomato purée, all cooked together for 6-8 hours.
Jus Lié is frequently used as the modern alternative to both brown sauce and sauce demi-glace.
Makes: 5 liters. Cooking time: 6-8 hours.
Ingredients:
300 g dripping
350 flour
100 g tomato puree
8 liters brown stock
400 g carrots (roughly cut)
400 g onions (roughly cut)
200 g leek (roughly cut)
200 g celery (roughly cut)
200 g bacon trimmings
400 g tomatoes
400 g mushroom trimmings
parsley stalks
1 bay leaf
1 brig thyme
Method:
(1) Melt the dripping in a deep sided saucepan, add the flour and cook to a third stage roux. Allow to cool.
(2) Add the tomato purée, then add the brown stock, stirring with a wooden spatule.
(3) Bring to the boil.
(4) Lightly fry the vegetables and the bacon trimmings to a light brown colour, drain off all the excess fat and add to the sauce.
(5) Add the herbs, tomatoes and mushroom trimmings.
(6) Cook for 6-8 hours by gently simmering, skimming as and when necessary.
(7) Strain the sauce into a saucepan, reboil and retain for the next stage (usually the making of sauce demi-glace).
Note:
Trimmings from shaping vegetables, ends of leeks and celery and so on are sufficient in all stock and sauce recipes.