A Sauce Espagnole recipe, also known as brown sauce, (not to be confused with the other brown sauce, English HP sauce). Sauce Espagnole is a classic French sauce and is considered to be the mother of all mother sauces.

Sauce Espagnole is one of the 5 mother sauces. This sauce is simply made by combining brown beef stock, a mirepoix of vegetables, and a brown roux made from equal parts butter and flour.

The sauce is then simmered for anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will depend on the level of flavor you’re wanting to achieve.

The brown roux is cooked out until the flour caramelizes to become a light golden color. It smells like freshly baked bread and has a subtle nutty naturally sweet flavor.

And this is what makes a sauce Espagnole recipe so special and delish. When I was a young chef many years ago, I would put sauce Espagnole on just about everything, I loved it and still do.

When I cook roast lamb or roast beef I always make sauce Espagnole and the family love it! It takes a little time to make the brown roux, however, it is well worth it.

Sauce Espagnole Recipe Step-By-Step Guide

Espagnole is a fairly easy recipe, there are a couple of techniques you’ll need to follow. I’ll guide you step-by-step.

First, we’ll take a closer look at the ingredients that make up this sauce Espagnole recipe.

• 50g (1.76oz) of salted butter – I use salted butter as it enhances the overall flavor.
• 3.5 tablespoons of strong flour.
• 2 cups brown beef stock.

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Optional Ingredients

• Mirepoix ½ an onion, ½ a carrot, and 1 stick of celery.
• Bouquet Garni.

• Beef Stock – The stock is the body of the sauce and provides a complex, meaty flavor. Homemade stock is always best, however, store-bought low-sodium stock can also be used.

• Roux – The roux is made by cooking equal parts butter and flour until it turns a light golden color. This can’t be rushed, it will take 15-20 minutes on low heat.

And needs to be stirred every 2-3 minutes to stop it from catching and burning. The roux thickens the sauce and adds a nutty naturally sweet flavor.

Optional Ingredients

• Mirepoix — This can be used as a base and added when making the roux and is optional. If you are using quality homemade stock you shouldn’t need it. Mirepoix can add another layer of flavor and is removed before the sauce is served.

• Bouquet Garni – This is a bundle of herbs, typically thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and parsley, that is tied together and added to the sauce. The bouquet garni adds a herbaceous flavor.
  • Also, you can add peppercorns, and crushed garlic if you want for even more flavor. These will also be removed before serving the sauce.

First Step: Cooking Out The Roux

If you’re new to making sauces, the thought of creating a classic sauce Espagnole recipe can be intimidating.

However, with our step-by-step guide, you’ll be able to make this delicious sauce with relative ease. Before you start there is a couple of things you should know.

• Cooking out the roux to a golden brown color is the key to Espagnoles complex flavor. It also contributes to the color of the finished sauce. This needs to be done low and slow.
• Where possible use homemade beef stock.
• Choose fresh herbs for the bouquet garni. They can be made with any combination of herbs you like. Traditionally these include thyme, bay leaf, and parsley. I like to use rosemary, thyme, sage, and bay leaves.
• Use salted butter and strong or plain flour.

• Step 1 — Begin by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir to combine, creating a roux. You should use a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon.
  • (If you’re going to use a mirepoix add it now). Cook the roux for 15-20 minutes until it turns a golden brown color.

Second Step: Whisking In The Stock

• Step 2 — Now whisk in the beef stock and keep whisking until the sauce starts to thicken. (If you’re using a bouquet garni add it now). The stock should be hot or at least warm, this will help the sauce to thicken quicker.
  • Cover the sauce Espagnole with a cartouche and simmer on very low heat for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. The sauce will reduce slightly.
  • More importantly, it will help to allow the flavors to develop and mature. Remember, be patient all great things take time.

Cook the sauce low and slow. This is the proven formula for a highly-flavored Sauce Espagnole recipe.

Third Step: Cooking Out The Espagnole Sauce

• Step 3 — After the sauce has cooked out and slightly reduced. Remove the bouquet garni and strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the mirepoix and any solids.
  • If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of additional stock. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper if needed.

With these easy-to-follow steps, you’ll be able to create a crazy delicious sauce Espagnole recipe that will blow the minds of anyone who tries it!

Don’t be intimidated by the process, just take your time and follow each step carefully. The end result will be well worth it!

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Sauce Espagnole Recipe The Mother Of All Mother Sauces

5 from 1 vote

PREP TIME: | 10 minutes mins

COOK TIME: | 1 hour hr

TOTAL TIME: | 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

SERVINGS: | 4 servings

AUTHOR: | Shannon The Helpful Chef

PIN PRINT RECIPE

DESCRIPTION

DISH SUMMARY

Discover the secrets of the perfect sauce Espagnole recipe with our easy-to-follow recipe. This classic French sauce is the mother of all mother sauces.

Equipment

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  Cookware
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  Kitchen Gadgets
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  Kitchen Knives

Ingredients

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US CUSTOMARYMETRIC

• ▢ 50 g Butter salted
• ▢ 3.5 tbsp Flour strong or plain
• ▢ 2 cups Beef stock homemade
• ▢ ½ tsp Salt Himalayan pink
• ▢ ¼ tsp Pepper ground white

Optional Ingredients

• ▢ ½ Carrot roughly chopped
• ▢ ½ Onion roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 stick Celery roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 Bouquet garni thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and parsley

Instructions

SHOWHIDE

• Begin by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir to combine, creating a roux.

  (If you’re going to use a mirepoix add it now). Cook the roux for 15-20 minutes until it turns a golden brown color.
  
• Now whisk in the beef stock and keep whisking until the sauce starts to thicken. (If you’re using a bouquet garni add it now).

  Cover the sauce Espanole with a cartouche and simmer on very low heat for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. The sauce will reduce slightly.

  More importantly, it will help to allow the flavors to develop and mature. Remember, be patient all great things take time.
  
• After the sauce has cooked out and slightly reduced. Remove the bouquet garni and strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the mirepoix and any solids.

  If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of additional stock. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper if needed.
  

Chef Tips

• Cooking out the roux to a golden brown color is the key to Espagnoles complex flavor. It also contributes to the dark brown color. This needs to be done low and slow.
• Where possible use homemade beef or veal stock.
• Choose fresh herbs for the bouquet garni. They can be made with any combination of herbs you like. Traditionally these include thyme, bay leaf, and parsley. I like to use rosemary, thyme, sage, and bay leaves.
• Use salted butter and strong or plain flour.
• The process of cooking out the roux can’t be rushed. It’s important to cook it until it turns a golden brown color. However, be sure to watch it carefully, as it can burn quickly and ruin the flavor of the sauce.
• Make sure the stock is hot or at least warm when whisking into the roux. This will help the sauce thicken more quicker.
• If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out with a bit of additional stock. If you don’t have any stock left, you can mix 1-2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and a ¼ cup of water. This will add layers of flavor and color to your sauce Espagnole recipe.

COURSE:

Condiment

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Sauces

CUISINE:

French

KEYWORD:

Brown Roux

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French Brown Sauce

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Sauce Espagnole

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