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From the late, great Julia Child...
1 stick of butter, clarified
4 T flour
(Mirepoix) 1/3 cup each finely diced carrot, onion, celery and 3 T finely diced boiled ham
8 or more cups of beef stock
2 med sized ripe red tomatoes or 2 T tomato paste
A med herb bouquet (3/4 parsley sprigs 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp thyme, tied together in a cheesecloth)
Make a brown roux, blend 4 T of the clarified butter with the 4 T flour in a heavy bottomed 2 quart sauce pan and stir fairly continuously with a wooden spatula or spoon over moderately low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or more until flour slowly turns an even dark walnut brown. Meanwhile, cook the mirepoix ingredients in 2-3 T of the clarified butter in a separate pan, until tender and lightly browned. When the flour is browned, remove from the pan from the heat, let cool for a moment or two, and beat in 6 cups of stock with a wire whip. If you are using fresh tomatoes, simply slice roughly and add as is to the pan; for tomato paste, whip it into the stock. Scrape in the mirepoix, deglazing pan with a bit of stock, add the herb bouquet, and bring to a simmer.
Simmer very slowly, partially covered, for 4 hours or more. Skim off scum at first, then fat, and finally the fatty skin that will collect on top of the sauce after an hour or so of simmering. Add more liquid if sauce reduces and thickens too much - it should be the consistency of a light cream soup. If the taste is getting to strong this with water not stock. How long to simmer? Until it has a lovely smooth velvety-rich taste and that final judgment is yours alone.
Finally strain the sauce, pressing juices out of ingredients, degrease it, and let it cool. Chill, remove coagulated fat from surface, and sauce is ready to use. Bon Appetite'
1 stick of butter, clarified
4 T flour
(Mirepoix) 1/3 cup each finely diced carrot, onion, celery and 3 T finely diced boiled ham
8 or more cups of beef stock
2 med sized ripe red tomatoes or 2 T tomato paste
A med herb bouquet (3/4 parsley sprigs 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp thyme, tied together in a cheesecloth)
Make a brown roux, blend 4 T of the clarified butter with the 4 T flour in a heavy bottomed 2 quart sauce pan and stir fairly continuously with a wooden spatula or spoon over moderately low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or more until flour slowly turns an even dark walnut brown. Meanwhile, cook the mirepoix ingredients in 2-3 T of the clarified butter in a separate pan, until tender and lightly browned. When the flour is browned, remove from the pan from the heat, let cool for a moment or two, and beat in 6 cups of stock with a wire whip. If you are using fresh tomatoes, simply slice roughly and add as is to the pan; for tomato paste, whip it into the stock. Scrape in the mirepoix, deglazing pan with a bit of stock, add the herb bouquet, and bring to a simmer.
Simmer very slowly, partially covered, for 4 hours or more. Skim off scum at first, then fat, and finally the fatty skin that will collect on top of the sauce after an hour or so of simmering. Add more liquid if sauce reduces and thickens too much - it should be the consistency of a light cream soup. If the taste is getting to strong this with water not stock. How long to simmer? Until it has a lovely smooth velvety-rich taste and that final judgment is yours alone.
Finally strain the sauce, pressing juices out of ingredients, degrease it, and let it cool. Chill, remove coagulated fat from surface, and sauce is ready to use. Bon Appetite'
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