Active Time

　　35 min

　　Total Time

　　8 hr (includes making stock)

　　Espagnole is a classic brown sauce, typically made from brown stock, mirepoix, and tomatoes, and thickened with roux. Given that the sauce is French in origin, where did the name come from? According to Alan Davidson, in The Oxford Companion to Food, "The name has nothing to do with Spain, any more than the counterpart term allemande has anything to do with Germany. It is generally believed that the terms were chosen because in French eyes Germans are blond and Spaniards are brown."

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 2 2/3 cups

　　1 small carrot, coarsely chopped

　　1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

　　1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

　　1/4 cup all-purpose flour

　　4 cups hot beef stock or reconstituted beef-veal demi-glace concentrate*

　　1/4 cup canned tomato purée

　　2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

　　1 celery rib, coarsely chopped

　　1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

　　1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf

　　

Step 1

Cook carrot and onion in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Add flour and cook roux over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until medium brown, 6 to 10 minutes. Add hot stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then add tomato purée, garlic, celery, peppercorns, and bay leaf and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 3 cups, about 45 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Pour sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.

　　

Step 3

*Available at some specialty foods shops and cooking.com (stock requires a dilution ratio of 1:16; 1/4 cup concentrate to 4 cups water).

　　Cooks' note:

　　Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered.