The mother of all game sauces: a caramelised mirepoix, a sharp vinegar reduction and plenty of crushed pepper, built up with demi-glace and game stock. From this sauce come chevreuil, grand veneur and most of the others.
Sauce poivrade
Sauce poivrade
Sauce poivrade
Sauce poivrade
Method
01
Mirepoix
Heat the oil and fry the carrot, onion, shallot and celery over a medium heat for 10 minutes until deep golden brown. Colour is flavour here.
02
Acid
Pour in the vinegar and red wine with the thyme and bay leaf and reduce to about a third.
03
Build
Add the demi-glace and game stock and leave to simmer gently for 30 minutes; skim regularly.
04
Pepper
Add the coarsely crushed peppercorns only for the last 10 minutes. Cooking them longer makes the sauce harsh and musty instead of fragrant.
05
Strain and finish
Pass through a fine sieve, pressing the vegetables well, reduce further if necessary and finish off the heat with cold butter.
Tips & notes
Pepper at the end, always. The volatile oils in pepper (piperine and the terpenes around it) evaporate with long cooking and leave only the bitter sharpness behind. Keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge, and freezes very well (up to 3 months); the flavour often deepens further the next day.
Chef's tip
In the classical system, poivrade is a 'petite sauce mère' within the game chapter. Grand veneur is poivrade with redcurrant jelly and cream, chevreuil is poivrade with bacon and red wine. Anyone who makes one big pan of poivrade in season has covered the whole game menu.
Variations
- Sauce chevreuil – Poivrade with fried bacon lardons and extra red wine.
- Sauce Diane – Poivrade with cream, classic with venison.
- With marinade – Use the strained marinade liquid from the game instead of wine and vinegar.
Contains:
Milk
Celery
Sulphites
Serve with
- Saddle of venison
- Saddle of roe deer
- Saddle of hare
- Wild boar
- Pigeon
- Red cabbage
| Calories | 226 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Fibre | 2 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
