MARCHAND DE VIN (MUSHROOM WINE SAUCE) FROM SCRATCH

Marchand De Vin (Mushroom Wine Sauce) from Scratch image

I only make this sauce once a year as it is time intensive (although not difficult), but the results are worth it for special occasions. I make it in steps over several days. It is a combination of several different recipes, so I am posting it here so I don't have to flip through books and pieces of paper next time I make it. It is fantastic with Beef Wellington, which is what I usually make it for, but would be great with other roasted meat such as prime rib, etc. Make sure to use a high quality dry red wine (cabernet, burgundy, zinfandel) or Madeira with this. You don't want to go through all the trouble and not use a fine wine. :) IMPORTANT TIPS: 1. Resist any urge to season the sauces between steps. If you are tasting the sauces as you go, you may think it needs salt. But keep in mind this is reduced in each step and adding any salt, etc. in between steps can result in disaster. Wait until the final sauce to salt and pepper. 2. Use a wooden spoon for stirring sauces as the simmer, not a whisk. A whisk incorporates air and lightens the sauce. You want a dark smooth silky sauce. 3. Skim the fatty foam that rises to the top in each step while simmering. Just use a ladle and skim the top every so often.

Provided by Izzblizz

Categories Sauces

Time P4D

Yield 2 Cups, 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

4 -5 lbs meaty beef bones (Get a frozen "bag of bones" from grocery or ask your butcher)
2 onions, unpeeled
2 carrots, unpeeled cut into two inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into two inch pieces (including leaves)
water
bouquet garni (see instructions below)
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled carrots
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 peppercorns
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
3/4 cup diced tomato (or tomato puree)
1/4 cup chopped mushroom
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup thinly sliced mushroom
3/4 cup dry red wine or 3/4 cup madeira wine
salt
pepper

Steps:

STEP 1 - BEEF STOCK:.
Preheat Oven to 425°F
Place beef bones in lightly oiled roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes.
Add unpeeled chopped onion, unpeeled chopped carrots, and chopped celery stalks to bones in roasting pan after 20 minutes. Roast, stirring occasionally to prevent vegetables from burning, until bones are well browned (about another 30 minutes). Pour off fat.
Remove roasted bones and vegetables to large stockpot.
Add 1 cup water to roasting pan and deglaze, scraping up brown bits. Add to stock pot. Add additional cold water (6-8 Cups) to cover bones and vegetables.
Slowly bring to boil. Reduce heat at once to simmer. Simmer partly covered 30 minutes.
Skim off any foam that has accumulated and add Boquet Garni (Wrap 2 sprigs of thyme or 1 tablespoons dried thyme, 4 sprigs parsley, bay leaf, and 2 cloves in cheese cloth, tie off to make a pouch and add to stock).
Continue simmering partly covered 6-8 hours. Add additional water to cover and skim foam off top as necessary.
Strain, cool and refrigerate. You should have 6-7 cups stock. You will need about 5 and 3/4 cups for remainder of recipe. I refrigerate overnight and then continue with next step.
STEP 2: SAUCE ESPAGNOLE (BROWN SAUCE).
Skim off accumulated fat from your refrigerated Stock from Step 1 (fat will be on layer on top). Reserve 3 tablespoons fat.
Melt 3 tablespoons reserved stock fat in saucepan over medium heat. Saute 1/4 cup chopped onion, 2 tablespoons chopped carrots, and 2 tablespoons chopped celery in fat until lightly browned.
Add 3 tablespoons flour, stirring until browned.
Add 3 peppercorns, 3/4 cup diced tomatoes (or tomato puree), 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Stir.
Add 3 Cups of your Stock from Step 1 (reserve rest in refrigerator for later steps). Increase heat to high, bring to boil, stirring, then reduce heat to simmer.
Simmer uncovered about 2 hours until sauce is consistency of heavy cream (no thicker) and you have approximately 1.5 to 2 Cups sauce. Skim foam occasionally from top.
Strain through fine mesh strainer and cool. You can stop and refrigerate overnight (or up to two-three days) at this point or continue on to Step 3 after it has cooled. I usually refrigerate overnight.
STEP 3: DEMI-GLACE.
Remove any fat that has accumulated on top of your Brown Sauce from Step 2.
Add 1.5 Cups brown sauce, 1.5 Cups reserved beef stock from Step 1 (still reserve remaining for final step), and 1/4 Cups chopped mushrooms to a saucepan.
Bring to simmer, and simmer uncovered about two hours until reduced by half. Skim any foam or fat that rises to top as needed.
Strain through fine mesh sieve. Stir in 1/4 Cup dry red wine or Madeira.
Again at this point you can cool and refrigerate until ready to make final Marchand de Vin.
STEP 4: MARCHAND DE VIN.
I do this final step while meat is roasting.
Melt two tablespoons butter over medium heat.
Add 1 Cup thinly sliced mushrooms. Cook stirring for three minutes.
Add 3/4 Cup reserved beef stock from Step 1 (heated) and 3/4 Cup dry red wine or Madeira. Simmer 10 minutes.
Add 1 and 1/2 Cup Demi-Glace sauce from Step 3. Simmer until reduced by about one-third about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to serve.
Makes about 2 Cups.