One of the great classics of French cuisine. Sauce bordelaise has its origins in the wine region around Bordeaux and combines a powerful red wine reduction with demi-glace, shallot and bone marrow. Rich, deep and elegant: the perfect companion to tournedos, entrecôte, côte de bœuf and other red meat.
Sauce bordelaise
Sauce bordelaise
Sauce bordelaise
Sauce bordelaise
Method
01
Prepare the marrow
Cut the beef marrow into slices about 2 cm thick. Leave them in ice-cold water for 30 minutes so that any traces of blood dissolve. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to just below boiling and poach the marrow for about 2 minutes. Drain and cut into small cubes.
02
Wine reduction
Bring the red wine, the port if using, the shallots, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns to the boil. Reduce gently to about a third of the original volume. The wine should taste powerful without being sharply sour.
03
Add the demi-glace
Strain the reduction into a clean pan. Add the demi-glace and simmer the sauce for another 10 to 15 minutes to a beautiful, glossy consistency.
04
Mount with butter
Take the pan off the heat and whisk the cold butter into the sauce. This gives the sauce extra gloss and a velvety texture.
05
Finish
Just before serving, add the cubes of poached marrow and the finely chopped parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Tips & notes
Never let the sauce boil again after the butter and marrow have been added. The marrow should keep its creamy structure and not dissolve completely. No beef marrow? The sauce will still be excellent, but you will miss a touch of classic French luxury. Keeps for a maximum of 2 days in the fridge; reheat gently without boiling. Without the butter and marrow the sauce can be frozen.
Chef's tip
A true bordelaise is always made with demi-glace and never with cream. The strength of this sauce lies precisely in the balance between the reduced wine, the full meat flavour and the soft marrow. In classical French cuisine, bordelaise is regarded as one of the finest accompaniments to grilled beef.
Variations
- Sauce Rouennaise – Thickened with duck liver instead of marrow.
- Without marrow – A lighter, more accessible version.
- With shallot confit – For extra sweetness against the tannins of the wine.
Contains:
Milk
Sulphites
Serve with
- Tournedos Rossini
- Chateaubriand
- Côte de bœuf
- Entrecôte
- Beef tenderloin
- Grilled ribeye
- Veal entrecôte
| Calories | 387 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 63 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Fibre | 20 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
