- Buttermilk
- 1 c. buttermilk = 1 tbsp. white vinegar + whole milk to make 1 c.
MC
Bien mélanger.
MC
Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the shallots briefly until translucent (3 min). Deglaze with the Port and red wines and reduce until most of the wine has cooked off (5-6 min). Add the demi glace, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and thyme and simmer for approximately 5-6 minutes (or until the sauce has thickened). Strain the sauce, add the heavy cream (if desired), and return to a simmer for a few minutes and serve. The optional heavy cream gives the sauce a richer color and additional flavor.
Reluctant Gourmet
Wrap the thyme, parsley stems, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth.
Combine the brown sauce and the beef stock in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat to a simmer. Add the cheesecloth bundle, and reduce the liquid for about 45 minutes, or until the total volume has reduced by half. Remove pan from heat and retrieve the sachet.
Carefully pour the demi-glace through a wire mesh strainer lined with a piece of cheesecloth.
Spruce Eats
Arrange the bones in a heavy roasting pan, and drizzle with a bit of vegetable oil. Roast them in a hot oven (400 F) for around an hour. They should be moderately browned. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and continue roasting for around 20 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stir, and roast for another 10 minutes.
Remove the bones to a stockpot. Deglaze the roasting pan with a bit of water. Add the cold (important!) water to the stockpot, along with the mirepoix and the deglazing liquid from the roasting pan. Add the spices, tied together in a bundle of cheesecloth.
Bring the pot to a boil, then lower it to a simmer. Simmer for 4 to 6 hours, skimming fat and scum from the surface every so often. The goal is to end with 4 qt. of stock for every 5 qt. of water that you started with, so partially cover the pot and/or add more water to maintain that level.
Strain through cheesecloth and chill.
Spruce Eats
Fold the bay leaf, thyme, parsley stems, and peppercorns in a square of cheesecloth and tie the corners with a piece of kitchen twine. Leave one string long enough so that you can tie it to the handle of your pot to make it easier to retrieve.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat until it becomes frothy. Add the mirepoix—onions, carrots, and celery—and sauté for a few minutes until lightly browned. Don’t let it burn. With a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the mirepoix a little bit at a time until it is fully incorporated and forms a thick paste (this is your roux). Lower the heat and cook the roux for another 5 minutes or so, until it just starts to take on a very light brown color. Again, don’t let it burn. Using a wire whisk, slowly add the stock and tomato purée to the roux, whisking vigorously to make sure it’s free of lumps.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the sachet. Simmer for about 50 minutes, or until the total volume has reduced by about 1/3, stirring frequently to make sure the sauce doesn’t scorch at the bottom of the pan. Use a ladle to skim off any impurities that rise to the surface. Remove the sauce from the heat and retrieve the sachet. For an extra smooth consistency, carefully pour the sauce through a wire mesh strainer lined with a piece of cheesecloth.
Spruce Eats
Mix dry ingredients, then add melted butter and mix well.
In a small saucepan, soak the apricots in the Cognac for 10 minutes. Bring to a boil, then carefully ignite with a long match. When the flames subside, add the brown sugar and cook over moderate heat until the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a food processor and let cool. Add the butter and process until fairly smooth. Season the butter with salt. Scrape the apricot butter into a large ramekin and serve with crusty bread.
Food & Wine
Wash the cranberries and discard any soft or wrinkled ones.
Combine the orange juice, cranberry juice and honey in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. Do not cook for more than 15 minutes as the pectin will start to break down and the sauce will not set as well. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Carefully spoon the cranberry sauce into a 3 cup mold. Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator, overturn the mold and slide out the sauce. Slice and serve.
Alton Brown, Food Network