Demi-Glace Sauce

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fatguyputter

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OK, I hope I'm not getting too far outside of the BBQ boundaries here, but I know that there are many of you (like me) who enjoy all types of cooking.

We are having a dinner party for some special guests next week and I want to do a great surf and turf meal similar to one I had at a very exclusive restaurant.

The feature was a 10oz Filet that was served in small pool of a Berry/Red Wine Demi-Glace sauce. It was very concentrated and was the perfect accent to a wonderful piece of meat.

I know that Demi-Glace sauces are a highly concentrated reduction sauces. I have taken a little short cut and bought one from Williams-Sonoma. The question is, how would you go about blending the berries, wine, etc. into the already made demi-glace. Will look forward to your comments. Thanks.
 
I would cook the berries in the wine, correct for flavor bearing in mind demi-glace is usually salty. I would consider the wine/berry blend be a little on the sweet side (not candy, but, a little sweet). This should give you a good base. Filter through a fine mesh sieve. Then reheat and add demi-glace to enrich the sauce. I like to make more than enough, it is a bother to try and make more once you have a bunch already made.

I do not add onions or garlic to berries normally, if I do anything, I go with snipped chives. I will often mount the sauce with a few pats of softened (not melted) butter whisked in just before serving.
 
I agree with the above. As a nice touch I would include a few of the berries whole, al dente, for presentation mostly.
 
IMHO it would be better to just make the sauce from scratch and add berries shortly before straining.

If all else fails... go for a Cabernet/Chambord reduction. You would be surprised how many fine kitchens have that little crown of a bottle on the shelf.
 
I did a semi-homemade version of this once, and it turned out great! Sandra Lee would be proud! I used a slightly different method, and I think it gave me a little better control of exactly how much wine/berry flavor I added to the sauce.

I simmered one quart of Kitchen Basics beef stock (the boxed kind) and added the demi glace per the package instructions to enrich (a couple of tablespoons as I recall).

In a separate pot, I cooked the berries in Merlot on a low simmer for an hour or so. I used 2 cups of wine and one cup of berries. I did not use an immersion blender or crush the berries so my reduction would remain as clear as possible. I double strained the reduction, then added it to the demi glace pot a little at a time until I got the flavor I was looking for.

I wound up adding about half of the reduction. I made a cornstarch slurry and added that a little at a time to thicken the sauce. I love the idea of swirling in a tablespoon of butter at the end, but I didn't think of it at the time. It turned out great anyway!

I hope you let us know how you make out!
 
All of the above suggestions are great. I made a demi glace last weekend for lamb with dried mission figs, shallots, and Serrano peppers simmered in Marsala wine.

I did it very similar to landark's method so I think his recipe would get you close to what you want.
 
BlueHowler said:
All of the above suggestions are great. I made a demi glace last weekend for lamb with dried mission figs, shallots, and Serrano peppers simmered in Marsala wine.

I did it very similar to landark's method so I think his recipe would get you close to what you want.
Click to expand...

And no post?????:shock: :tsk:
 
Landarc, when cooking the berries in the wine, would you crush them up a little to impart flavor or leave them whole? Also, what type of berries do you think would be good? I assume a combo of blackberries, blueberries, rasperries??? Thanks.
 
Thanks to all of you for your comments and ideas. I will let you know how it turned out. And if my, non-techie mind will allow me, I will try to include some pron.
 
fatguyputter said:
Landarc, when cooking the berries in the wine, would you crush them up a little to impart flavor or leave them whole? Also, what type of berries do you think would be good? I assume a combo of blackberries, blueberries, rasperries??? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I've always used cherries for this when served with beef.
 
fatguyputter said:
Landarc, when cooking the berries in the wine, would you crush them up a little to impart flavor or leave them whole? Also, what type of berries do you think would be good? I assume a combo of blackberries, blueberries, rasperries??? Thanks.
Click to expand...
1. The type of berry comes down tot he wine you are using and what level of intensity you want. Merlot and cherries (not really berries, but who cares), Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah and blackberries, Pinot Noir or Chianti and rasperries are all combos I would consider.

2. It depends on the character of the sauce you want, if you want a clear sauce, then no crushing and only a little stirring. For a more full flavor, crush the berries. An alternate would be to crush the berries the night before and let them settle, you avoid the solids clouding the sauce that way.

3. We get into style of cooking in terms of ratios. I like a wide variety of ratios, but, I would say 1/2 cup of berries to two cups of wine is a good start. Reduce to 1 to 1.5 cups over a simmer and you are good. Another way I do this kind of sauce is to make a spiced berry sauce the day before, let the sediment and proteins settle out. Then add the syrup to the reduced wine, just before adding the demi-glace. The flavors stay fresher this way.
 
Awesome Landarc! The sauce I had at the restaurant was highly concentrated and had a very strong full berry/wine flavor. I think I will go with the Cab/blackberry combo and crush the berries while simmering. Again, the sauce I had was definitely not clear....more like a lush deep purple paint and about the consistency of latex paint. I might even go with 2 cups of wine to 1 cup or at least 3/4 cup of berries. Thanks so much for your input, it is obvious you know what you are talking about.
 
Keep in mind that you will be "married" to the surf element. Trod carefully.

It is the oneness of the entire dish/meal that transcends the individual components.
 
Good advice Landarc! Especially the bit about mounting the sauce with a pat of butter at the end - makes all the difference in the world ; )
 
Hawg, I agree with you on having a dish that works as one. I am increasingly of the mind though, that a dish does not need to have a single sauce or over-riding element to really work well. Plated carefully, the sauce could serve for the steak and let the surf part find it's own accompaniment, or, take the real challenge and find a way to meld the richness and fruit components to a seafood option.

If it was me, I would do a petite NY with the Buerre rouge fortified with demi-glas and a warm fruit compote, a small tail of lobster or some prawns in a butter herb sauce and some simple steamed baby green beans or greens. Hit them with some vinaigrette and let em be. My choice of wine would be a nice Oregon Pinot or maybe even a NY riesling.

You know, a nice blackberry cobbler to top it off, or go big and do something like a crisp apple/cheddar/spiced nuts plate with a little port, maybe a 1979 vintage port. Since I am here, a aperitif and some rose champagne and a few whole berries tossed in, or if you are feeling domestic, a Cocktail Boulevardier (equal parts sweet vermouth, Campari and Bourbon), and then some small tenderloin sandwiches. Or crab cakes, crabs are in season now out here. Hope that helps.
 
LANDARC, you are ON TOP OF IT, BRO! Love the advice. Im meeting you half way. Starting with a cup of made from scratch French Onion Soup with Gruyere cheese covering a crusty toasted French bread crouton. This followed by a small house salad. Doing Filets as opposed to strips, seared on my ole Hasty Bake with hardwood charcoal and a couple hickory chunks. Serving this with the Demi-Glace and Wine reduction sauce. This will be accompanied with the seafood element. I am going with two large steamed Alaskan King Crab legs served with a Herb Butter Sauce, all complimented with my favorite parmesean baked asparagus served al dente. And then taking your advice on blackberry cobbler--Since I am going to do the Cabernet/Blackberry reduction sauce.

Have hired by buddy, with a case of Sam Adams (the dude will do anything for a beer), to dress in a tuxedo and perform the duties of wine sommelier/waiter/server.

Hope I can pull everything off
Again, I can't thank you guys enough for the help and ideas.
 
On the timing factor, what I plan to do is sear my steaks on high heat to Rare--no more.....I mean just simply char them. While the steaks are on for the couple minutes it will take, I will melt the cheese and crouton over the french onion soup in the oven. When the steaks are seared I will cover them and put them in the oven on very low heat, in fact "warm". At this point, I will pull the soup and turn on the steamer for the crab legs. They are flash frozen so I think the process will take about 15-20 minutes. I will take a seat at the table and my buddy will then serve the soup. I figure it will take approx. 8 minutes to serve and eat the cup of soup. Salad will then be served next and I will probably allow for the same amount of time. This puts me approx. 15-20 minutes into the dinner. My buddy will now plate the steak and drizzle the reduction sauce as well as plating the crab legs and butter sauce. Asparagus will have gone in the oven just before salad is served. They will be plated ala carte, but served at the same time as steak and crab legs. After serving the main course he will put the cobbler in the oven. I figure main course will be done in 20-30 minutes. Shortly after, cobbler will be served.

Wine of choice is a few bottles of Caymus Cabernets.

My only question is with the steaks. Assuming I just sear them hard for a couple minutes a side to rare, then have them in the oven (covered loosely with foil) at about 200-220 for 15 minutes.....they won't overcook if I am looking for a medium rare finish, will they? They are about 2 inches thick and about 10oz. of Prime angus beef.

Suggestions on any or all of the above?
 
I have done that with Blues Hog Raspberry Chipolte Sauce and extra raspberries. Easy Peasy!
 
landarc said:
Hawg, I agree with you on having a dish that works as one. I am increasingly of the mind though, that a dish does not need to have a single sauce or over-riding element to really work well. Plated carefully, the sauce could serve for the steak and let the surf part find it's own accompaniment, or, take the real challenge and find a way to meld the richness and fruit components to a seafood option.
Click to expand...

This is spot on. I just could not think of any seafood that I would want on a plate (surf AND turf) with blackberries on it.

Raspberries is of course a different story.

If a was to serve blackberries with the steak, a great pairing, I would serve a seafood element as a different course with a palate cleanser between.

BUT, milage may vary.
 
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