Bordeaux Sauce

Ingredients

Wine reduction

• 2 cups Burgundy wine (or any dry red — Pinot Noir, Cabernet)
• 1¼ cups yellow onion, finely chopped ⅛-inch (about 1 medium onion)
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 bay leaves

Demi-glace base

• 4 ounces dry demi-glace mix (about ½ cup — Knorr or similar) — or substitute 2 cups beef broth + 2 tablespoons cornstarch slurry
• 4 cups water
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic

Finish

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons brandy

Instructions

1. Reduce the wine. In a heavy saucepan, combine the wine, chopped onion, thyme, white pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a hard simmer. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, until the liquid has reduced to about ½ cup — a syrupy glaze.
2. Make the demi-glace. While the wine reduces, sift the demi-glace mix into a large mixing bowl. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a separate pot. Slowly whisk a cup of the boiling water into the demi-glace mix to form a smooth paste. Then whisk the paste back into the remaining boiling water. Add the granulated garlic. Simmer 5 minutes, whisking — should be smooth and slightly thickened.
3. Combine. Pour the wine reduction into the demi-glace pot. Stir well, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more.
4. Strain. Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer (or china cap) into a clean bowl, pressing the solids to extract liquid. Discard the spent onions, thyme, and bay leaves.
5. Finish. Whisk in the melted butter and brandy. The butter gives gloss; the brandy lifts.
6. Taste and adjust. Add salt only if needed (demi-glace is salty already).

Chef’s Tips

• Demi-glace mix is the easy way. Real demi-glace takes 24 hours of veal-bone simmering. Knorr’s dry mix is a credible shortcut and a restaurant standby. More Than Gourmet brand is even better if you can find it.
• The reduction-to-syrup step is what concentrates flavor. Don’t shortcut. Watch the pot — once the wine is reduced, it can scorch quickly.
• Mounting with butter (whisking cold or melted butter into a hot sauce off the heat) gives the velvety finish. Don’t boil after this step.
• Strain through fine mesh. A china cap (conical strainer) gives the silkiest result. A regular strainer is fine for home use — push the solids with the back of a ladle.
• Variations: swap thyme for tarragon for a more delicate sauce; add 2 tablespoons green peppercorns at the strain step (for a au poivre version); finish with 1 tablespoon green peppercorn brine for sharpness.
• Use for roasted prime rib, Black & Blue Ribeye, grilled lamb chops, pan-seared duck breast, Beef Tenderloin Skewers, French Dip (in place of au jus for special occasions).
• Scaling note: halves cleanly for a small dinner; doubles cleanly. The original was a restaurant-batch staple; this scales it for a home holiday roast.

Storage & Make-Ahead

• Keeps 3 days in the fridge.
• Reheat very gently — don’t boil after the butter is in, or the sauce will break.
• Freezes 1 month — but reheat with a fresh tablespoon of butter to recover the gloss.

From Ernie’s Kitchen