Demi-glace

Daria Souvorova

about 14 hours, mostly passive
serves: makes about 2 cups

Are you one of those crazy people that collect bones in your freezer? I sure am. I have been saving bones in my freezer for months. Every roast cooked added another to my collection. I even considered getting an extra freezer just for bones.

Finally…I collected enough for my purpose! I had enough bones for a demi-glace! I have been looking forward to this for months, and can finally make a big batch for my Domestic Union celebration on Sunday. I am so excited.

Demi-glace is so hard to describe, it is like the essence of deliciousness, the French umami. It intensifies the flavor of any meat that you pair it well, and I am looking forward to pairing it with some roast lamb legs this coming Sunday. Stay tuned for all of the recipes!

This evening, we paired our new sauce with some seared hanger steak and seared leeks in a bit of balsamic. Stay tuned for the recipe tomorrow!

I start off my demi-glace from stock, so it takes quite a while to make, however most of the work is done by your oven and you just have to supervise. I would start on a Friday evening when you don’t have major plans for leaving on Saturday, and bu Saturday night, you will have a beautiful demi-glace.

Ingredients:

• 12 pounds of various bones (duck, lamb, beef,
  pork)
• 2 pounds oxtails or shanks with meat on them
• 4 onions with their skin still on, quartered
• 6 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 8-10 bay leaves
• 1 intact head of garlic, sliced in half crosswise
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 2 sprigs oregano
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
   Place bones on pans, separating large bones (beef/pork/lamb)from smaller bones (duck/chicken/rabbit), in an even layer.
2. Roast until brown, really brown, not golden.
   This may take as long as 3 hours or so. I took the duck bones out after an hour and a half. Check every half an hour, and every 15 minutes after 2 hours.
3. Pour off the liquid that forms. Much of it may be fat, do not pour that down the sink.
4. Place all of the bones into a large low oven-safe pan. It should be at least 6 inches high and large enough to fit all the bones. I used a 20 inch round pan.
5. Add any scrapings from the pan unless they are black and burned.Add carrots, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, and herbs, tie the herbs together before adding.
6. Add enough water to almost reach the rim of your pan.
7. Lower heat in oven to 250°F and bake for 12 hours. I leave them in the oven overnight.
8. Remove and discard bones and vegetables.
   Strain liquid and bring to a boil.
   Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours until it reduces to one third or so.
   Skim off the oils and skum that develop at the surface regularly.
9. Once reduced to one third, transfer to a smaller sauce pan and continue reducing. 
   Stir regularly. Make sure to pay attention to it at this point, do not burn your sauce.
10. Reduce until the sauce is of maple sauce consistency. Taste and add a bit of butter and wine. 
11. Serve on top of any meat for greater flavor. It will keep for a week in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.