This recipe is a combination of method and ingredients used in making Glace de Viande. Veal or in a pinch, beef knuckle bones are really important. Be careful, do not confuse marrow bones with knuckle bones. The knuckle bone contains a lot of gelatin and this is what creates the consistency found in demi glace. It is also what adds a lustrous velvety texture and flavor to sauces and dishes made with demi glace.
Be forewarned, this is a 3 day process, but just look at the results!
Ingredients
- 8 lbs veal knuckle bones
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 large Spanish onions thickly sliced
- 3 large carrots cut into 1-inch lengths
- 3 stalks celery coarsely chopped
- 1 whole celery root peeled and cut into medium sized chunks
- 1/2 bunch parsley chopped
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 10-12 sprigs thyme
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and left whole
- 8 quarts water
Instructions
Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- Preheat oven to 450°F
Vegetables
- Drizzle 2 tbsp oil in the bottom of a roasting pan.
- Peel and coarsely chop 4 large Spanish onions, 3 large carrots, 3 stalks celery, 1 whole celery rootand drop spoons full of 1 6 oz can tomato paste on the chopped vegetables.
- Evenly coat vegetables with tomato paste and place in the pre-heated oven for about 1 hour.
- Vegetables are done when the tips begin to turn black.
- Move roasted vegetables to stock pot.
- Add about 1 cup of water to roasting pan and place roasting pan on medium heat and scrape up brown bits from the pan and add to stock pot.
Veal Bones
- Spread 8 lbs veal knuckle bones in a single layer in roasting pan and place in 450°F oven until the bones begin to brown or for about 1 1/2 hours.
- Move bones to stock pot with the vegetables.
- Add about 1 cup of water to roasting pan and place roasting pan on medium heat and scrape up brown bits from the pan. Add these juices to the stock pot with vegetables and veal bones.
Stock Preparation
- Pre heat oven to 185°F
- Add parsley, thyme, bay leaves and garlic cloves to stock pot.
- Add 10 quarts of water to stock pot.
- Bring stock pot to a boil over high heat then reduce to a slow simmer and move covered stock pot to the 185° oven.
- Simmer the stock for about 16 hours in the oven.
Reduction
- The stock is ready for reduction when all the bones are free of all meat and gristle and are smooth and white.
- Remove the solids from the stock to a sieve, reserving all juices that drain from the sieve.
- Return the saved juices to the stock pot and again bring to a boil over high heat, then return to the oven at 185ºF for another 8 hours or until the stock has been reduced to half of the original quantity yielding 3-4 quarts.
Final Preparation
- Pour reduced stock through a fine sieve.
- Pour sieved stock into a pan; the liquid should come up to 2" in the pan to allow for cutting into 2"x 2" pieces when set.
- Place pan into another larger pan and surround with ice packs to bring to room temperature.
- Once temperature has been reduced, cover and refrigerate.
Storage
- Once the demi glace has set, scrape off any fat from the glace before turning out.
- Turn out onto a piece of parchment paper, and cut 2" x 2" squares.
- Wrap each square in cling wrap.
- Place in zip lock bags and freeze.
Yield
- Each square yields one 1 1/2 oz serving
Author Notes
Many complex sauces are made with demi-glace. I have made it, and mine was pretty good, but it takes a very long time and a lot of hunting to find just the right kind of bones to roast as a base for the sauce.
So, I am continually on the look out for prepared demi-glace and I look for this delectable base sauce at every butcher shop that I find.
My latest demi-glace find was at the Butcher's Block in Sarasota, our home away from home in the winter.
Not only does the Butcher Block have demi-glace, but also have venison loin, and as we are usually down here for New Year, it was most exciting find.
I have also been lucky enough to find a source at a butcher, Olliffe, in Toronto. I have also found demi-glace on line and of course, I have made my own.
They are all delicious, but they are all different so taste as you go along, more with using this product than others. I still have to try the powdered variety from Knorr, but as long as I can get fresh frozen, I will always fall back to the butcher shop variety,
