My friend Joan still has the “secret shopper” gig I wrote about, and recently we dined at a very fine steakhouse. She loved the Bordelaise sauce served with her steak and I thought “I can do that!”
The classic version of this recipe calls for bone marrow, which I cannot remember ever seeing in a store, not even in good meat markets. I used butter, about 2/3 of the specified amount. This recipe, like the one I diaried as Rich Mushroom Sauce, comes from More Than Gourmet, makers of the Demi-Glace.
Bordelaise Sauce
from morethangourmet.com— serves 4
2 1/2 cups dry red wine (preferably one with soft tannins like a Merlot or a Pinot Noir)
4 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional as needed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 ounces Demi-Glace Gold® or Demi-Glace de Veau Gold® dissolved in 3/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup diced beef marrow, soaked for 2-3 minutes in hot water and drained, or 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
Salt
Pinch of ground allspice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
In a saucepan, combine the wine, shallots, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 2/3 cup.
Whisk in the reconstituted Demi-Glace Gold® (or Demi-Glace de Veau Gold®) and simmer the sauce gently for 15 minutes
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. Place the pan over low heat, whisk in the lemon juice and beef marrow (or butter), and continue whisking until the marrow (or butter) melts into the sauce. Season the sauce to taste with salt, additional pepper, allspice, and cayenne.
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Tonight’s dinner will be baked salmon with rice and broccoli. What’s for dinner at your place?
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