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Sirop Simple, Simple Syrup

Recipe for making simple sugar syrup sirop simple, at home.

Simple syrup, or sugar syrup, is a basic sweetener in beverages. For regular simple sugar syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water. For a ‘rich’ simple syrup, combine two parts sugar to one part water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the solids have dissolved. Let cool to room temperature and transfer to a squeeze bottle or other sealed container. Keeps, refrigerated, for at least a week.

For more flavorful cocktail syrups, try using Demerara,/em> Turbinado, or Muscovado sugar.

This syrup is used in recipes for Punch Latier (Escoffier, 908), and Bavaroise (Escoffier, 4995).

Ingredients
227g (1 cup) granulated white sugar
227g (1 cup) water

Equipment
Salter digital scale
Measuring cup
Medium saucepan
Wire whisk
Small funnel
Sealed container or squeeze bottle

Total time: Prep: 1 minute, Cook: 3 minutes

Yields: 16 oz simple syrup.

7 September 2019
4995. Bavaroise, Rum Bavaroise, Bavarian Tea

Escoffier recipe for making Bavaroise, or Bavarian tea, at home (Escoffier 4995).

Bavaroise, is a milk tea (or coffee) with rum or kirsch, served hot. Originally sweetened with maidenhair fern syrup, and later, with simple syrup. It can be additionally flavored with vanilla, orange or lemon.

History of Bavaroise

“The Bavaroise only goes back to the first years of [the 18th century]; and it is owed to princes of Bavaria, when they came to France. During the stay which their Highnesses spent in the Capital, they often went to take tea at M. Procope’s. But they asked that it be served them in crystal carafes. Instead of sugar, they had maidenhair syrup put in. The new drink was called bavaroise, from the name of the princes. It was adopted in the cafés, with no other change than to sometimes put in it some milk. Meanwhile, as it was later noticed that the maidenhair took away the flavor and the agreeable odor of the tea, the café owners substituted sugar clarified and cooked to a syrup.”

— Histoire de la vie privée des François, 1782.

For the Tea

Brew a pot of strong tea. I used Earl Grey, a black tea flavored with the oil of the bergamot orange. We’ll need a total of two cups of boiling hot tea for this recipe.

For the Infused Milk

For orange-infused milk, use the peel of one orange. For lemon-infused milk, use the peel of one or two lemons. For vanilla-infused milk, take one whole vanilla pod, slice it down its length and scrape out the seeds. Put all the seeds and the pod in the milk. Or use a teaspoon or two of vanilla extract, to taste. You can also use chocolate or cocoa powder for a chocolate bavaroise. Mmmmm…

In a small pot, add the peel or vanilla to two cups whole milk, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for at least 15 minutes. If using chocolate, add the cocoa and bring to a boil to dissolve all the solids. Then it’s ready to use…

For the Egg Batter

In a small stainless steel bowl, mix together 4 eggs with the sugar.

Place over a small point of simmering water and whisk continually until the eggs lighten to a pale straw color and thicken to a “ribbon stage.”

That’s when it doesn’t quite drip, but slowly flows from your whisk in a ribbon. It’s important to keep the heat low enough so you don’t scramble the eggs, but high enough to dissolve the sugar and thicken the batter.

Once you get the hang of it, the same technique is used for making fresh hollandaise sauce and sabayon.

Assembly

Once the eggs are thickened, briskly whisk in the Sirop Capillaire, two cups hot tea, two cups hot infused milk, and alcohol, until frothy.

Serve immediately in teacups, mugs or glassware of your choice. You don’t have to, but you could top with chantilly cream.

Cheers, and Happy Holidays!

Ingredients
4 egg yolks
125g (4.5 oz) sugar
100g (3 oz) maidenhair fern syrup or simple syrup
425g (2 cups) hot tea of your choice
500g (2 cups) whole milk
Peel of 1 orange or lemon
210g (1 cup) rum or kirsch

Yields about 12 servings.

From the Books:

4995 Bavaroise

Whisk together 250g (9 oz) caster sugar and 8 egg yolks until the mixture becomes a pale straw colour and reaches the ribbon stage.

Add in sequence, 1 dl (3 1/2 fl oz or 1/2 U.S. cup) Capillaire syrup and 5 dl (18 fl oz or 2 1/4 U.S. cups) each of boiling hot freshly made tea and boiling milk, whisking vigorously so that the whole becomes very frothy. Lastly, add 2 dl (7 fl oz or 7/8 U.S. cup) liqueur, either Kirsch or Rum, which will give its name to the Bavaroise.

If a vanilla, orange or lemon Bavaroise is required, infuse the flavouring in the milk 15 minutes beforehand. If a chocolate one is required melt 180g (6 oz) of chocolate and add it to the milk together with a little vanilla. If a coffee Bavaroise is required infuse 100g (3 1/2 oz) freshly ground coffee in the milk, or flavour with 5 dl (18 fl oz or 2 1/4 U.S. cups) freshly made coffee.

Bavaroise is served in special glasses and it must be served whilst still frothy.

— Le guide culinaire: the complete guide to modern cookery, 1921.

Prop. pour 10 verres: 200 grammes de sucre travaillé avec 8 jaunes, jusqu’à ce que l’appareil fasse nettement le ruban. Ajouter: 1 décilitre de sirop de capillaire, 5 décilitres de thé fraîchement fait, 5 décilitres de lait bouillant, et 2 décilitres de la liqueur adoptée. Tous ces liquides ajoutés à l’appareil, l’un après l’autre, en froulant vigoureusement avec un fouet pour le faire mousser, et la liqueur, quelle qu’elle soit, mise en dernier lieu. Dresser en verres spéciaux, et à l’état de mousse.

— Le guide culinaire, 1903.

20 December 2015
0016. Sauce Espagnole, Spanish Sauce

Escoffier recipe for making sauce espagnole, Spanish sauce, at home (Escoffier, 16).

Sauce Espagnole, or Spanish Sauce, is a rich brown sauce — one of Auguste Escoffier’s mother sauces — and the basis for many others. Why is it called Spanish sauce? One of those things that’s lost to history for sure, but there are several theories.

“Spanish cooks of Louis XIII’s bride, Anne, helped to prepare their wedding feast, and insisted upon improving the rich brown sauce of France with Spanish tomatoes. This new sauce was an instant success, and was gratefully named in honor of its creators.” — Louis Diat.

“When the Bourbons made their way to the Spanish throne under Louis XV, and when Spanish fashions came back to Paris, the French cooks took a hint from the Spanish pot-au-feu — the olla podrida — and produced a variation of their brown sauce which they called Spanish.” — Auguste Kettner, 1877

“Espagnole sauce was imported as a celebratory salute to honor Louis XIV’s son, Philip V, in 1700 when he was placed on the Spanish throne.” — Glenn Gary Gamboa, 2011

You’ll find that most modern recipes (even Lagasse’s) for sauce espagnole start out with a brown stock, then add a mirepoix of carrots, onions, celery — rather than carrots, onions and mushrooms — and omit the meat. What the…

To heck with that! We’re doin’ it up right.

Caveat: this is shortened to six hours from Escoffier’s two-day recipe.

Classic Sauce Espagnole

brown stock + brown roux + mirepoix + bouquet garni + salt pork + butter + wine + tomato

Modern Sauce Espagnole

brown stock + brown roux

Classic Sauce Espagnole Maigre

fish stock + brown roux + mirepoix + bouquet garni + mushrooms + butter + wine + tomato

Sauce Espagnole

In a large stockpot, sauté the meat until browned. Add carrots, onion and mushrooms, and sauté in the butter until translucent. Then add the tomato paste and let all brown. Deglaze the pot with the white wine and reduce until almost dry.

Add the estouffade (brown stock), thyme and bay leaf. Gently simmer, skimming off any foam from the surface, for about 5 hours.

Strain and add the roux brun (brown roux) to the reduced stock.

Simmer gently for another hour, stirring so it does not stick. Brown roux can sometimes have a pronounced flavor. Try the sauce, and if it has a floury flavor, simmer some more.

Remove from heat, strain, and stir occasionally until the sauce has cooled to room temp. Use immediately, or place in plastic containers and reserve in the freezer.

Ingredients
225g (1/2 lb) diced salt pork, pork belly, smoked hamhock or bacon
65g (1/2 cup) diced carrots
40g (1/4 cup) diced onions
65g (3/4 cup) diced button or brown mushrooms
35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
100g (1/2 cup) white wine
33g (2 tablespoons) tomato paste
1000g (4 cups) estouffade (brown stock)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
125g (about 1 cup) roux brun (brown roux)

Equipment
Salter digital scale
Measuring bowls
Cutting board and kitchen knife
Large stock pots
Wooden spoon
Chinois, strainer or sieve
Spoon or small strainer for skimming
Small bowl
Plastic containers

Total time: Prep: 15 minutes, Cook: 6-8 hours

Yields: 2-4 quarts of stock, depending on how long you simmer it.

From the Book:

16. Sauce Espagnole

Ingredients:
625g (1 lb 6oz) brown roux – using 285g clarified butter and 340g sifted flour
12 litres (2 5/8 gal or 3 1/4 U.S. gal) estouffade, brown stock
150g (5oz) roughly diced salt belly of pork
250g (9oz) roughly diced carrots
150g (5oz) roughly diced onions
2 sprigs thyme
2 small bay leaves
500g (l lb 2oz) tomato purée or 2000g (4.5 lb) fresh tomatoes
2 dl (7 fl oz or 7/8 U.S. cup) white wine

Preparation:
Place 8 litres (1 3/4 gal or 2 1/4 U.S. gal) of the stock in a heavy pan and bring to the boil; add the Roux, previously softened in the oven. Mix well with a wooden spoon or whisk and bring to the boil mixing continuously. Draw the pan to the side of the stove and allow to simmer slowly and evenly.

Meanwhile, place the salt pork in a pan and fry to extract the fat, add the vegetables and flavourings and fry until light brown in colour. Carefully drain off the fat and put the ingredients into the sauce; deglaze the pan with the wine, reduce it by half and also add to the sauce. Allow to simmer gently for 1 hour skimming frequently.

Pass the sauce through a conical strainer into another pan, pressing lightly. Add another 2 litres (3/4 pt or 9 U.S. cups) stock, bring to the boil and allow to simmer gently for a further 2 hours. Pass the sauce through a fine strainer and stir occasionally until completely cold.

The next day, add the remainder of the stock and the tomato purée; bring the sauce to the boil stirring continuously with a wooden spatula or whisk, then allow to simmer gently and evenly for 1 hour skimming carefully.

Pass through a fine strainer or tammy cloth and stir occasionally until the sauce is completely cold.

Notes
1) The time required for the preparation and refining of this sauce cannot be indicated exactly as it depends to a large extent on the quality of the stock used in its making. The refining of this sauce will be quicker if the stock is of very good quality in which case an excellent Espagnole can be prepared in five hours.
2) Before adding tomato purée to this sauce it is advisable to spread the required quantity on a tray and to cook it in the oven until it turns a light brown colour. This will destroy most of the excess acidity found in tomato purées, and when prepared in this way, the purée assists in clarifying the sauce and at the same time gives it a smoother taste and a more agreeable colour.

A. Escoffier. Le guide culinaire, 1921

17 December 2015
0234. Beurre d’Ecrevisse, Crayfish Butter

Escoffier recipe for making beurre d’écrevisse, crayfish butter, at home (Escoffier 238).

Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, crawdaddies, freshwater lobsters, mudbugs or écrevisse – whatever you call the crustaceans — most people love ’em.

Beurre d’écrevisse can be used for a multitude of dishes, on breads, in sauces, on eggs — you name it.

Let me know how you use it!

Beurre d’Ecrevisse

This recipe for a compound butter is adapted from those of Escoffier and Julia Child. I just had to — Escoffier’s had no extra seasoning added, so I spiced it up a bit with fresh thyme, Old Bay, paprika and cayenne. If you don’t like spice, leave them out…

Mise en place:

Sauté the carrots, onions and leek in butter for about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, crayfish, thyme, bay leaves, Old Bay seasoning, paprika, cayenne…

… and cook covered for 30 minutes on low heat, to infuse the flavors.

Turn out onto a cookie sheet to cool.

Place in a food processor with butter and blend until smooth.

The shells will give the butter a reddish color.

Take your time and press the mixture through a tamis or sieve, and refrigerate. (The longer you process, the easier this part will be.)

Can be frozen for future use.

Ingredients
64g (1/2 cup) finely chopped carrots
58g (1/3 cup) finely chopped onion
50g (2/3 cup) finely chopped leek
35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
50g (3 tablespoons) tomato paste
1000g (about 2 pounds) whole cooked crayfish bodies
2g (2 teaspoons) fresh thyme sprigs
4 bay leaves
6g (1 tablespoon) Old Bay seasoning
4g (2 teaspoons) sweet paprika
1g (1/2 teaspoon) ground cayenne pepper
908g (2 pounds) unsalted butter

15 December 2015
0488. Fine Fish Forcemeat for Quenelles for Soups

Escoffier recipe for fine ‘whiting’ fish forcemeat for quenelles for soups, at home, (Escoffier, 488).

Whiting forcemeat is simply any type of ground white fish, for use as fish balls in soups.

Fish Forcemeat

Use any type of fish “in keeping” with your soup or quenelles, making sure your fish filets have no bones. Cut the fish into one-inch pieces and place in a food processor with the egg whites and salt. Process until smooth, slowly adding in the cream. Refrigerate until very cold.

Ingredients
416g (16 ounces) sole or white fish filets
30g (2 tablespoons) egg whites
500g (2 1/8 cups) heavy cream
12g (2 teaspoons) kosher salt

Recipe adapted from those of Escoffier and Julia Child.

15 December 2015
Sirop Capillaire, Maidenhair Fern Syrup

Recipe for making maidenhair fern (capillaire) syrup, sirop capillaire, at home.

Sirop Capillaire is an infusion of maidenhair fern syrup and orange-flower water, used for flavoring cocktails. As Escoffier did not include a recipe in Guide Culinaire, this is based on others, notably those of Jerry Thomas.

True capillaire syrup was initially made in the 1700s with maidenhair fern. But over the years, some thought the flavor detracted from their beverages and eventually settled on a sugar syrup simply flavored with orange (curaçao or orange-flower water).

This syrup is used in the recipe for Bavaroise (Escoffier, 4995).

Mise en place for sirop capillaire.

Start with 28 grams of fresh maidenhair fern leaves, adiantum pedatum (add-ee-ANN-tum puh-DAY-tum), rinsed well in cold water. Use organic or culinary-grade if you can find it. The last thing you want to ingest is a delicious, but pesticide-laced, cocktail… Place in a large bowl.

Combine 1000g water with 500g granulated sugar and bring to a boil until the solids are dissolved.

Clarified syrups

Pre-20th century recipes call for loaf-sugar, then clarifying with egg whites. This was to bring out any impurities from the unrefined sugar. With today’s bleached and refined granulated sugars, the clarification step is un-needed. Unless your syrup turns out cloudy.Then you could clarify with egg-whites if you really wanted. Stir in a couple of egg whites, boil, then skim the scum off the top. Strain.

Pour the syrup over the fern leaves and infuse until the syrup cools to room temperature. Strain. Then add 10g (or to taste) of orange-flower water.

Strain again through a funnel into a 750mL glass bottle. (I save my Champagne bottles expressly for syrups!) Cap and refrigerate for future use.

Ingredients
1000g water
500g granulated sugar
28g fresh maidenhair fern leaves
10g orange-flower water

From the Books

346. Sirop Capillaire. (Maidenhair Syrup.)

1 lb. of maidenhair herb.
5 1/2 gallons of boiling water.

Macerate till cold; strain without pressing, so as to get 5 gallons; take the whites of 3 eggs beaten to froth, and mix them with the infusion; keep back a quart of the liquid; then dissolve and boil in the above 80 lbs. of sugar by a good heat; when the scum rises, put in a little from the quart of cold liquid, and this will make the scum settle; let it raise and settle 3 times; then skim, and when perfectly clear add 1/2 a pint of orange-flower water; then boil once up again and strain.

“This beverage ought always to be made with boiling water, and allowed to concoct and cool for a day or two before it is put on the table. In this way, the materials get more intensely amalgamated than cold water and cold whiskey ever get.”

65. Capillaire. — Put a wine-glass of Curaçoa into a pint of clarified syrup, shake them well together, and pour it into the proper sized bottles. A tea-spoonful in a glass of fair water makes a pleasant eau sucré…

66. Another recipe for making Capillaire. — To one gallon of water add twenty-eight pounds of loaf-sugar; put both over the fire to simmer; when milk-warm add the whites of four or five eggs, well beaten; as these simmer with the syrup, skim it well; then pour it off, and flavor it with orange flower water or bitter almonds, whichever you prefer.

– Thomas. How to mix drinks, 1865

Sources:
Le Grand d’Aussy. Histoire de la vie privée des François, 1782.
Jerry Thomas. How to mix drinks, 1865.

15 December 2015
2921. Côtes de Porc à la Flamande, Baked Porkchops with Apples

Escoffier recipe for making côtes de porc à la flamande, baked porkchops with apples, at home (Escoffier, 2921).

Have you ever made pork chops with apple sauce for dinner before? Well then, if you have, you’ve already cooked côtes de porc à la flamande. This Escoffier recipe is a very simple, but delicious dish of pork chops with baked apples. It’s a quick dinner to make, too!

Côtes de Porc à la Flamande, Baked Porkchops with Apples

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Quarter, core, and peel the apples (allow one apple per chop). Cut them up in thick slices and coat with the lemon juice to prevent their browning. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a hot pan, and quickly brown the pork chops on both sides. Remove them to an earthenware or ceramic baking pan in a single layer. Save those pan juices!

Cover the chops with apple slices and drizzle them with the leftover butter and pan juices.

Bake in a 375ºF oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Remove and let rest, then dish ’em up!

We served our côtes de porc à la flamande with some leftover mashed potatoes and stuffing from Thanksgiving.

Ingredients
4 boneless pork loin chops
4 Granny Smith apples
Juice of one-half lemon
35g Challenge unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Equipment
Cutting board and kitchen knife
Salter digital scale
Measuring bowls
Small bowl
Frying pan
Set of tongs or spatula
Baking dish

25 November 2012
0202. Sauce Mayonnaise

Easy, 30-second recipe for making your own mayo, sauce mayonnaise, at home (Escoffier 202).

Escoffier’s traditional recipe for Sauce Mayonnaise takes a little time and elbow grease to complete. He tells us to whisk, whisk, whisk. That’s fine and dandy… but with an immersion blender you can do it in 30 seconds.

I use a Cuisinart SmartStick brand immersion blender to emulsify the mayo.

You can use a light oil like canola, or a heavy oil like olive. You can use vinegar or lemon juice, or a combination of both. Just as long as you have enough acid for the emulsion to work. Some people add pepper, dijon mustard or sugar to taste (personally, I don’t like sweet mayos like Miracle Whip). But it doesn’t matter. Whatever suits your own taste. It’s up to you!

Mise en place for mayonnaise:

Sauce Mayonnaise, Mayo

Add the egg yolks, lemon juice or distilled white vinegar, and salt into a tall, narrow container. Pour in the oil and allow to settle.

Position the immersion blender head in the oil at the bottom of the container. Pulse gently several times to get the emulsion going, then longer until all the oil is blended. It will be very thick.

If you let ’er rip too fast at the beginning, the emulsion will break, and you’ll get nothing usable.

Here’s a video of how easy it is:

Store in a sealed container or squeeze bottle in the fridge, just as you would for store-bought mayo.

Ingredients
2 egg yolks
200g (1 cup) canola or olive oil
16g (1 tablespoon) distilled white vinegar or fresh lemon juice
2g (1/8 teaspoon) salt

Equipment
Cutting board and kitchen knife
Salter digital scale
Measuring cup
Cuisinart SmartStick immersion blender
Rubber spatula
Plastic container

From the Book:

202 Sauce Mayonnaise
Many composed cold sauces are derived from Mayonnaise and it is therefore classified as a basic sauce in the same way as Espagnole and Velouté.
Its preparation is very simple provide note is taken of the principles outlined in the following recipe:

Ingredients:
6 egg yolks (these must be unblemished)
1 litre oil
10g fine salt
pinch ground white pepper
1 1/2 tbs vinegar (or its equivalent in lemon juice if the sauce is required to be very white)

Method:
1) Whisk the yolks of egg in a basin with the salt, pepper and a little of the vinegar or a few drops of lemon juice.
2) Add and whisk in the oil, drop by drop to begin with, then faster in a thread as the sauce begins to thicken.
3) Adjust the consistency occasionally by adding the vinegar or lemon juice.
4) Lastly add boiling water which is added to ensure that the emulsification holds if the sauce is to be reserved for later use.

25 November 2012
Bouillon de Moules, Mussel Stock

Recipe for making bouillon de moules, or mussel stock, at home.

Mussel Stock
Escoffier mentions using the ‘cooking liquor,’ or broth, from mussels, in Le Guide Culinaire. But as with mushroom stock, there is no specific Escoffier recipe for mussel stock included. You can use the leftover broth from steaming mussels in white wine and lemon. But what ingredients specifically should you use?

This seafood stock is used in making Sauce Normande, and is based on one from the Alinea Restaurant cookbook. You can use either fresh fennel bulbs or fennel seed, depending on what you can get. I used a package of frozen greenshell mussels from New Zealand for this stock, but you could use any type you can find. I like a little extra kick in mine, so I use dry vermouth and a hint of absinthe to flavor the broth.

In a medium stockpot, sauté the mirepoix of onion, celery and fennel (bulb or seed) in butter until translucent. Add the vermouth, absinthe (or any licorice-y spirit), bay leaf, peppercorns and bring to a gentle simmer.

Add the mussels and cover. Steam until the mussels open, about 5-10 minutes. If you are not eating them and want to get the maximum flavor from the mussels, steam for up to 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat, let cool, and strain the broth into plastic containers. Reserve the mussels for another use or for eating!

Ingredients
35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
100g (2/3 cup) diced onion
100g (2/3 cup) diced celery
100g (2/3 cup) diced fennel bulb, or 4g (2 teaspoons) dried fennel seed
375g (1 small bottle) Dolin dry vermouth
25g (1 ounce, or 1 jigger) La Fée Absinthe Parisienne absinthe
1 fresh bay leaf
12 whole, black peppercorns
1000g (2.2 pounds) fresh or frozen mussels

Equipment
Salter digital scale
Kitchen knife and cutting board
Measuring bowls
Medium stockpot with lid
Wooden spoon
Rubber spatula
Strainer or chinois
Medium Saucepan
Plastic containers

Sources:
A. Escoffier. H.L. Cracknell & R.J. Kaufmann, transl. Le guide culinaire: the complete guide to modern cookery.
G. Achatz, D. Beran & N. Kokonas. Next Restaurant Paris 1906. eBook: Achatz, LLC, 2011.

25 November 2012
Bouillon de Champignons, Mushroom Stock

Escoffier recipe for Bouillon de Champignons, Mushroom Stock.

Although the use of mushrooms is common in a large number of Escoffier’s recipes, there is no recipe solely dedicated to a basic mushroom stock. (Nor for that matter, vegetable stock!) There are recipes for mushroom sauces (Escoffier 32, 99), and ‘cooking liquor from mushrooms’ is vaguely quoted all over the place, but never really fully explained. More recently, Julia Child had a recipe for mushroom essence (fumét de champignons) in Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

And today, some chefs explain ‘mushroom cooking liquor’ as the remaining liquid from sautéing mushrooms with white wine, lemon and butter. You could very well use this in place of making your own mushroom stock, and either may equally be used in Escoffier’s recipe for Sauce Normande, among others.

So here is my version, adapted from Escoffier’s fond de veau brun recipe, and from Next Restaurant’s Escoffier Paris 1906 ebook (which was inspired from Thomas Keller’s French Laundry mushroom stock recipe).

Any trimmings from mushroom garnishes can be used, but for the home chef, using regular white button mushrooms, aka Champignons de Paris (Agaricus bisporus), works perfectly. Or try half white button mushrooms and half black Asian mushrooms for a more savory taste.

Process the mushrooms, carrots, onions, leeks and parsley in a food processor until they are finely chopped.

Melt the butter in the bottom of a large stockpot and sauté all the vegetables, the thyme sprigs and curry together for about 15 minutes, stirring, until cooked tender.

Cover with water and simmer for at least an hour. (Longer is better!)

Strain through a chinois into a saucepan, simmer, and reduce by half.

Strain again, cool, and store in plastic containers. May be refrigerated for a week, or frozen for future use.

Ingredients
700g (8 cups) chopped mushrooms
125g (1 cup) chopped carrot
87g (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) chopped onion
87g (1 cup) chopped leek
20g (1/3 cup) chopped parsley
35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
4g (5 teaspoons) fresh thyme sprigs
2g (1/3 teaspoon) sweet curry powder
1800g (8 cups) water

Equipment
Salter digital scale
Kitchen knife and cutting board
Measuring bowls
Large stockpot
Wooden spoon
Wire whisk
Rubber spatula
Strainer or chinois
Medium Saucepan
Plastic containers

Sources:
A. Escoffier. H.L. Cracknell & R.J. Kaufmann, transl. Le guide culinaire: the complete guide to modern cookery.
S. Beck, L. Bertholle & J. Child. Mastering the art of French cooking. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1961.
“Champignons à Blanc,” p. 511. “Fumet de Champignons,” p.512.
T. Keller. The French Laundry cookbook. New York: Artisan, 1999.
G. Achatz, D. Beran & N. Kokonas. Next Restaurant Paris 1906. eBook: Achatz, LLC, 2011.

24 November 2012