Learn to Cook – Sauces – Recipes
We hope you enjoyed making your sauces, you’ll find the recipes below. If you have any questions for chef please get in touch.
Brown veal stock
How to use brown veal stock in cooking
Veal stock is rarely used in home kitchens and is mainly known for its use in classical French sauces. However, it really is worth making if you have the time and access to veal bones, as it transforms things like stews and sauces thanks to its incredibly intense flavour. The high gelatine content in veal bones gives the stock a lot of body, meaning you don’t have to use alternative thickening agents such as a roux or cornflour.
Espagnole is one of the French ‘mother sauces’ and is made from brown veal stock. It is the base for many of the French classic sauces such as sauce au poivre (peppercorn sauce), Bordelaise sauce and chasseur sauce.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil
- 3kgveal bones, chopped into pieces
- 2onions, finely sliced
- 1carrot, finely sliced
- 1leek, finely sliced
- 1celery, finely sliced
- 1garlic bulb, halved horizontally
- 50g oftomato purée
- 300ml ofred wine, although you can also use white wine or brandy if you prefer
- 1 bunch ofthyme
- 3bay leaves
- 1 tspblack peppercorns
- 1pig’s trotter, (optional) – this gives the stock extra body
- 1 sheet ofkombu, (optional) – this gives the stock even more umami
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6
Start by massaging the bones with a little oil and roasting in the hot oven for about an hour. The bones should have turned a deep golden brown – don’t be too afraid of burning them as the darker the colour, the deeper the flavour, so a little bit of charring is fine
In a large stockpot, pour in a good glug of oil and add your onions, celery, leek, carrot and garlic (cut-side down). Sweat down until nicely caramelised, about 15 minutes
Once the vegetables are nicely caramelised, add the herbs and spices, stir in the tomato purée and cook out for a further 5 minutes
Add the roasted bones to the pot and deglaze the roasting tray with some of the wine. Scrape all the flavour from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon or spatula. Pour the delicious juices into the stock pot and add the rest of the wine. Bring to a simmer
When the wine has reduced by three-quarters, top up the pan with cold water, just enough to cover the bones. As a rule of thumb, you will need roughly the same weight of water as bones – just ensure the bones are completely submerged in liquid
If you’re using them, add the pig’s trotter and/or the sheet of kombu
Bring the stock to the boil, skim off the scum with a ladle and turn down the heat to a low simmer. Simmer away for 4–6 hours, regularly skimming the rising impurities from the top. It is important to slowly simmer and not rapidly boil, as you need the time to build up flavour
Strain the liquid through a muslin cloth or fine sieve, then transfer to a storage container and chill down as quickly as possible. Alternatively, return to the pan and reduce further to create a thicker, glossier sauce known as demi-glace, which is good for gravies or using as a concentrated stock
Saffron and white wine velouté
Ingredients – serves 4
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1onion (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
- Salt
- 100ml dry white wine
- Pinch of saffron
- ½ tsp of madras curry spice
- 1 cup of veal stock
- 1/2 cup of double cream
- freshly ground peppers
Method:
Heat the oil in a large pan set over a medium heat until hot.
Add the onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened, followed by curry spice, cook for additional 30 seconds.
Add the wine and saffron, boil for 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.
Add the stock and cream, stir well, and cook for 10 minutes. Blend with a stick blender until smooth if you prefer silky sauces. You can pass the sauce through a fine strainer for extra smooth results.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Bearnaise sauce
Ingredients – serves 2
- 40ml of white wine vinegar
- ¼ lemon juice
- 20g of tarragon, chopped
- 2shallots, finely sliced
- 3egg yolks
- 200g of butter, clarified
- salt
- pepper
Method:
Make a reduction by boiling the white wine vinegar, half the tarragon and the shallots until reduced by half. Strain and allow to cool a little.
Mix the egg yolks and reduction then whisk in a glass bowl over a bain-marie until the mixture is thick and able to coat the back of a spoon
Remove from the heat and slowly start to drizzle in the butter whisking all the time until all the butter is incorporated
Add the remaining tarragon and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Prawn and chorizo Arabiata Sauce
Ingredients – Serves 2:
- – 1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes
- Handful of sun blushed tomatoes
- Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- – 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- – 1 red chilli, deseeded and diced
- – Salt & Pepper
- – 1 Banana Shallot, finely diced
- – 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- – Sprig Thyme – stalks removed, roughly chopped
- – Teaspoon of olive oil
- – 1 chorizo sausage, diced
- – 100ml red wine
- 1 tbsp of chopped parsley
- 1x lemon zest and juice
Method:
- In a small pan, heat the olive oil then soften the shallot for a minute and add diced chorizo. Cook for additional 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, cook for an extra minute.
- Add chilli and wine, reduce for 2 minutes. Then add all the tomatoes and stir – season with salt and pepper, plus a teaspoon of sugar, simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add sugar if required and mix through raw prawns: Cook for about 4 minutes in the sauce until they change colour to orange/red and start closing
- Finish with chopped herbs, lemon zest and juice
- Serve with pasta if thinner, cook it longer to thicken up for bruschetta topping
Herb Pesto
Ingredients – Serves 4
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/2 big bunch of fresh basil
- Handful of chives
- Handful of coriander
- 1 handful of pine nuts
- 1 good handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
Method
- Peel the garlic, then pound in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt.
- Pick, roughly chop and add the basil, followed by coriander and chives, then blend in a food processor.
- Add the pine nuts (very lightly toast first, if you like) to the mixture and blend again, same with the parmesan
- Drizzle in some oil – you need just enough to bind the sauce and get it to an oozy consistency.
- Add most of the remaining cheese, then season to perfection with salt and black pepper. Have a taste and keep adding a bit more cheese or oil until you are happy with the taste and consistency.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end
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