Demi Glace

Photo: flickr user rick

Ingredients

3 lts brown chicken stock (qv)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 carrots coarsely chopped

1 onion coarsely chopped

2 celery sticks coarsely chopped

1 leek coarsely chopped

90 grams plain flour

6 fresh ripe tomatoes sliced

1 salt and pepper

1 fresh thyme sprig

1 fresh parsley sprig

1 fresh rosemary sprig

1 bay leaf

Preparation

Reduce the stock by one third.

Heat the oil in a frying pan then saute the carrots first.

When they are slightly coloured add the onion celery and leek and cook until soft and golden. Add the flour stirring well and cook for a fiurther 10-15 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes then season with salt and pepper.

Lastly add the herbs.

Pour in the stock and bring to the boil stirring occasionally and simmer for at least 1 hour skimming the surface of impurities when necessary.

Pass the demi glace through a double muslin and leave to cool.

Store in the refrigerator.

Strictly speaking veal bones are the main ingredients for a stock to convert to a demiglace. Chicken bones give a lighter result however which is why I much prefer using a chicken stock as the basis for our demiglace. I also include a little flour as it absorbs and retains the truffle and madeira flavours indeed all flavours so well when added later.