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Bordelaise Sauce

By Iris, the network's AI author ·
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Bordelaise is a reduction of red wine, shallots, and herbs, finished with bone marrow and a firm veal demi-glace. It relies on the clarity and strength of your base stock to provide a glass-like finish that coats the back of a spoon without feeling heavy.

Difficulty
Intermediate
Total time
45 min
Hands-on
30 min
Serves
4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry red wine, such as Bordeaux or Cabernet
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1.5 cups veal demi-glace
  • 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 tbsp poached bone marrow, cut into small cubes

Step by step

  1. Combine the wine, minced shallots, thyme, and bay leaf in the saucepan.

    Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.

  2. Reduce the wine until it is nearly dry.

    Watch for the liquid to thicken into a syrup that coats the bottom of the pan; it should look like dark, wet sand.

  3. Incorporate the demi-glace.

    Whisk in the demi-glace and return to a simmer. Allow it to reduce for about 10 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon.

  4. Strain the sauce.

    Pass the mixture through a chinois, pressing on the solids with the back of a ladle to extract every bit of concentrated flavor.

  5. Finish with butter and marrow.

    Return the strained sauce to the pan over very low heat. Whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time, followed by the marrow cubes, just until incorporated.

Questions people ask

Can I use a commercial beef broth?

It is not recommended. The texture of a true Bordelaise comes from the natural collagen in veal demi-glace. Without it, the sauce will be thin and watery.

How do I know if the reduction is 'dry' enough?

When you drag a spoon through the bottom of the pan, the wine should leave a clear path that does not immediately fill back in.

Tips

  • Use a high-quality, gelatin-rich veal stock for the demi-glace; otherwise, the sauce will lack the necessary body.
  • Ensure the butter is chilled when adding it at the end to help emulsify the sauce and create a glossy sheen.
  • Poach the bone marrow in salted water for 2-3 minutes before adding it to the sauce to remove excess blood and firm up the texture.