 |
 |
 |
Basic Brown Sauce (Fond Brun) This brown sauce is the base for many other sauces. As it stands, it is neither properly seasoned nor thick enough. It should be brought to the right taste and the right consistency, usually with arrowroot, when it is used. It is slightly thickened with flour, which has the time to clarify and lose its raw taste through the long cooking process. I believe that a clear stock thickened with arrowroot only often tends to be too gelatinous or "gooey." 4 pounds veal bones (shin, neck, tail, etc. I have the butcher cut them into 3-inch pieces) 1 pound chicken bones (neck, wings, back, etc.) 1 large carrot, cubed (1 cup) 1 leek, diced (1 cup) 1 rib of celery, diced (3/4 cup) 3 cloves garlic, crushed with skin on There are two ways to start the brown sauce: A. Place all the ingredients in a large shallow cooking tray or pan (they should not overlap) and place in a preheated 425-oven for 1 hour. Turn the bones with a spoon after half an hour. B. Place the chicken bones in a large heavy pot and cook on high heat until the pieces are browned and have rendered some fat (about 6 minutes). Add the veal bones and the vegetables. Keep cooking for about 10 minutes, stirring with a large spoon until the bones and vegetables start to brown. 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons tomato paste 1 cup dry white wine 1 3/4 gallons water 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 3 bay leaves 1 teaspoon crushed thyme (fresh is preferable) 1 teaspoon crushed tarragon leaves (a piece of fresh tarragon is preferable) 2 teaspoons salt caramel coloring If you use method A, transfer all the ingredients to a large kettle, pour about I quart of water into the cooking tray and bring to a boil on the stove to melt all the solidified juices. Meanwhile, add the flour and tomato paste to the ingredients in the large kettle and mix well. Add the water boiling in the pan, the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil, stirring to dilute the flour. Simmer the sauce slowly, uncovered, for about 3 hours. Skim the foam which comes up to the top every 15 or 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of commercial caramel coloring or I tablespoon of homemade coloring. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Yield: About 2 to 2 1/2 quarts. The sauce may be kept covered in the refrigerator up to 10 days, or it may be divided into small plastic containers and frozen. Note: Commercial caramel coloring is difficult to buy outside of a wholesale restaurant supply house. The homemade caramel coloring is not as concentrated as the commercial one and needs to be added in greater quantity: 2 cups sugar 1 cup water Mix the sugar and the water in a heavy saucepan and cook on medium heat until it turns into caramel. Reduce the beat and keep the caramel cooking. The mixture will soon turn black, smoke, and finally decompose and become solid. Remove from the heat and add (slowly because it splashes and you may burn yourself) about 1 1/2 cups of water. Place back on the heat, bring to a boil, simmer 2 to 3 minutes and strain the liquid into a bowl. Cool and pour into a bottle. If the syrup is too thick (it should have the consistency of a light maple syrup), add some cold water. Keep in refrigerator for months. Return to Top |
|
© 2001 jacquespepin.net |