Description

A traditional demi-glace recipe is made by combining a mixture of half basic brown sauce and half brown stock (such as beef stock) and then simmering until it's reduced by half. In this shortcut recipe, instead of making the stock from scratch, store-bought stock or broth is used. It won't have the same body as a homemade demi-glace, but it will save you about eight hours.

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Place the bay leaf, thyme, parsley stems, and peppercorns on a square of cheesecloth.
3. Tie it up into a bundle with cooking twine to create the sachet d'épices.
4. In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat the butter and add the chopped onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté for a couple of minutes, until the onions are partially translucent.
5. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to form a paste. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently until the flour is lightly browned, but by no means burned.
6. Whisk in 3 cups of the beef stock.
7. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then lower the heat to a simmer, add the sachet, and reduce for about 20 minutes, or until the total volume has reduced by about a third.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and retrieve the sachet (set it aside). Carefully pour the sauce through a wire mesh strainer lined with a piece of cheesecloth and use a spoon to gently push the sauce from the remnants of the mirepoix (the sautéed vegetables).
9. Return the sauce to the pan, stir in the remaining 2 cups of stock, and return the sachet to the pot.
10. Bring the pot back to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 50 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half.
11. Discard the sachet. Strain the sauce through a fresh piece of cheesecloth.
12. If using the demi-glace as is for a dish, season to taste with kosher salt. When adding it to another sauce recipe, wait to season that sauce until the very end.