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:
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.
I had my local fishmongers split and clean the salmon heads for me. (I suggest you do the same!)
Cover and let steam for 20 minutes. Uncover, drain off the butter, and add 750ml (1 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…
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?
Finish the sauce by whisking in 150g of cubed butter and some fish essence, anchovy paste or fish sauce to taste.
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