SAUCE MEURETTE (BURGUNDIAN RED WINE SAUCE)
About 1 ½ cups
A much quicker alternative to time-consuming brown sauces. This deeply flavored, magenta-colored sauce is silky and rich. Serve with beef, roasted poultry, or Poached Eggs.
Melt in a large, wide saucepan over medium heat:
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
Add and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes:
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- ½ cup chopped ham or pancetta
Add, bring to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes:
- 4 cups dry red wine or 2 cups red wine and 2 cups Brown Beef Stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs parsley
Strain, discard the solids, and return the liquid to the saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. While the sauce reduces, mash together with a fork until the mixture forms a paste:
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Whisk the butter-flour mixture into the sauce at the last second, simmer briefly until thickened, and remove from the heat. If desired, stir into the sauce:
- (1 cup Sautéed Mushrooms)
Season with:
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- (A dash of red wine vinegar)
- (A dash of brandy)