Demi-Glace Sauce

[fatguyputter]

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.

[Teleking]

Immersion blender

[landarc]

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.

[leanza]

I agree with the above. As a nice touch I would include a few of the berries whole, al dente, for presentation mostly.

[Hawg Father of Seoul]

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.

[Mister Bob]

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!

[BlueHowler]

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.

[SmokinAussie]

Originally Posted by BlueHowler

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.

And no post?????

[fatguyputter]

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.

[fatguyputter]

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.

[RobKC]

Originally Posted by fatguyputter

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.

I've always used cherries for this when served with beef.

[landarc]

Originally Posted by fatguyputter

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.

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.

[fatguyputter]

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.

[Hawg Father of Seoul]

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.

[Bacon_99]

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 ; )