Escoffier At Home

Tag: fish espagnole

  • 0049. Sauce Genevoise, Geneva Sauce

    0049. Sauce Genevoise, Geneva Sauce

     

    Escoffier recipe for making Geneva Sauce, Sauce Genevoise, at home (Escoffier, 49).

    This is a very rich and complex fish sauce. When you cook it, the house smells of salmon and red wine. Pretty yummy!

    Mise en place:
    Mise-en-place for Sauce Genevoise

     

    Sauce Genevoise

    In a large saucepan, sauté the carrots, onion and parsley in butter until tender. Add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, peppercorns and salmon heads.

    Saute the vegetables and salmon heads

    I had my local fishmongers split and clean the salmon heads for me. (I suggest you do the same!)

    Salmon heads from the fishmonger

    Cover and let steam for 20 minutes. Uncover, drain off the butter, and add 750ml (1 bottle) of red wine.

    Add a bottle of red wine

    Simmer and reduce by half. Stir in 500g of Sauce Espagnole Maigre and gently simmer for an hour. Strain into a clean saucepan…

    Strain the Sauce Genevoise

    Add 500g fumét de poisson, an additional 500g red wine, and reduce some more! And while you’re at it, why not enjoy that remaining 250ml of leftover wine?

    Reduce the Sauce Genevoise

    Finish the sauce by whisking in 150g of cubed butter and some fish essence, anchovy paste or fish sauce to taste.

    Geneva Sauce

    Ingredients
    100g (3/4 cup) diced carrot
    80g (1/2 cup) diced onion
    20g (1/3 cup) chopped parsley
    35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
    4 fresh thyme sprigs
    1 fresh bay leaf
    16 whole, black peppercorns
    1000g (2 pounds, or about 3) salmon heads, split in half and cleaned
    750ml (3 cups, or 1 bottle) red wine
    500g (2 cups) fish Espagnole sauce
    500g (2 cups, or 2/3 bottle) red wine
    500g (2 cups) fish fumét
    150g (2/3 cup) unsalted butter
    3g (1/2 teaspoon) fish essence, anchovy paste or fish sauce, to taste

    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

  • 0017. Sauce Espagnole Maigre, Fish Espagnole Sauce

    0017. Sauce Espagnole Maigre, Fish Espagnole Sauce

     

    Escoffier recipe for making sauce espagnole maigre, fish espagnole, or lenten espagnole sauce, at home (Escoffier, 17).

    Also called Lenten Espagnole, this sauce is made with fish fumét and mushrooms instead of brown stock and meat (usually salt pork or bacon) as in regular Espagnole. Guess you can get away with having this rich sauce during Lent, eh?

    I made a quick version of this sauce instead of the two-day Escoffier method. (Ha! Only 6 hours.)

    Classic Sauce Espagnole Maigre
    fish stock + brown roux + mirepoix + bouquet garni + mushrooms + butter + wine + tomato
    Classic Sauce Espagnole
    brown stock + brown roux + mirepoix + bouquet garni + salt pork + butter + wine + tomato
    Modern Sauce Espagnole
    brown stock + brown roux

    Mise en place:
    Mise en place for Fish Espagnole

     

    Sauce Espagnole Maigre

    In a large stockpot, sauté a mirepoix of diced carrots, onion, mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf in the butter until translucent.

    Saute the mirepoix

    Then add the tomato paste and let brown. Deglaze the pot with the dry white wine and reduce until almost dry.

    What kind of dry white wine is best for fish-based sauces?

    Ever notice they never say what kind to use? It’s always the very vague ‘dry white wine’ you’ll see in recipes. I’ve found sauvignon blanc, chablis, and Noilly Prat vermouth work well. Each has its own flavor, and will affect your end result. But go for the lighter whites, stay away from the sweet whites like sauternes and reislings, or oaky whites like chardonnay.

    Add the fish fumét.

    Gently simmer to reduce the stock, skimming off any foam from the surface, for about 5 hours.

    Simmer the fish Espagnole stock

    Strain and add the 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.

    Sauce Espagnole Maigre

    Remove from heat, strain, and stir occasionally until the sauce is completely cold.

    Lenten Espagnole sauce

    Ingredients
    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
    33g (2 tablespoons) tomato paste
    100g (1/2 cup) dry white wine
    1000g (4 cups) fish fumét
    2 sprigs fresh thyme
    1 fresh bay leaf
    125g (1 cup) brown roux

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

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

    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