Episode 64: Sauces

Brioche Sauce
Pinot Noir Sauce
Penang Laksa Sauce
Champagne Sauce
Watercress Sauce
Black Olive & Pecan Cream Sauce
Leek Coulis

BRIOCHE SAUCE
1 onion, diced
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
500 millilitres Pelee Island Chardonnay white wine (16 fluid ounces)
1 litre cream (32 fluid ounces)
1 litre demi glace (30 fluid ounces)
500 millilitres diced brioche (1 ½ cups)

Preparation time is 35 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy

Sauté one diced onion with one bay leaf, two cloves in fresh butter.

Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the cream and simmer, let sit for 15 minutes to steep.

Add the demi-glace. Bring to a boil and crumble in a quarter loaf of Brioche, let sit for ten minutes. Puree with hand blender and strain. Season.

Yield: 6 servings
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PINOT NOIR SAUCE
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
5 ribs of celery, diced
2 large leeks, washed and diced
4 shallots, peeled and minced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch parsley, washed
6 bottles of Pelee Island Pinot noir wine
375 grams brown sugar (12 ounces)
90 grams butter (3 ounces)

Preparation time is 45 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy

Puree the carrots, celery, leeks, shallots and garlic in food processor - so that it is coarsely pureed. Put this puree into a stainless steel pot. Cover with three bottles of wine. Reduce until almost dry - so it is like toffee and starting to caramelize.

Moisten with the rest of the wine and add the brown sugar. Reduce to 1/3 of volume and strain through cheesecloth. Finish by stirring in the butter.

Yield: 6 servings
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PENANG LAKSA SAUCE
300 grams shallots
200 grams garlic
250 grams ginger
6 pieces lemon grass
1 branch lime leaves
200 grams galangal
100ml canola oil
300g penang chili paste (red Thai chili paste)
100g Malaysian curry powder
2L vegetable stock
4L coconut milk

Preparation time is 45 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy

In the food processor or a mortar puree the shallots, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, lime leaves, galangal until coarsely ground.

Heat the canola oil in a heavy bottomed pot until fragrant. Add the chili paste and curry powder and continue to cook for 5 minutes, but don’t brown. Add the vegetable stock and coconut milk and simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain and cool.

Yield: 6 litres
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CHAMPAGNE SAUCE
1 teaspoon butter (5 milliliters)
6 fresh white mushrooms, sliced thin
2 shallots, sliced thin
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
3 sprigs parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
Ground black pepper
1 cup champagne (250 milliliters)
1.5 ounces seafood glace (45 milliliters)
1 cup hot water (250 milliliters)
½ cup 35 % cream (125 milliliters)
1 tablespoon cognac (15 milliliters)

Preparation time is 20 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy

Melt the butter in a saucepan with the black pepper over a medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms, shallots, parsley, bay leaf and thyme. Allow to gently simmer for 3 minutes. Pour in the champagne and reduce by half.

Add the seafood glace and hot water and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Whisk in the cream and cook gently until the sauce boils, about 15 minutes. Once it thickens, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and transfer to another saucepan. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat and stir in the cognac just before serving.

Yield: 6 servings
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WATERCRESS SAUCE
¼cup of Pelee Island Chardonnay (60 milliliters)
¼ cup rice vinegar (60 milliliters)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (15 milliliters)
1 cup chopped green onions (8 ounces)
1 cup watercress leaves
1 ½ cups peanut oil (375 milliliters)
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

Ease of preparation is easy

Combine the wine, vinegar, mustard and green onions in the food processor. Whiz. Add the watercress leaves, stems removed. Process again. Finally, add the oil in a steady stream with the motor running. Season to taste. Add the sugar if the sauce is too tart.

Serve with fish

Yield: 4 servings
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BLACK OLIVE AND PECAN CREAM SAUCE
2 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (15 milliliters)
1 tablespoon butter (15 milliliters)
12 pecans, halved
1 cup pitted olives (250 grams)
salt and pepper
½ cup table cream (125 milliliters)

Preparation time is 10 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy

In a frying pan, cook the shallots, garlic and thyme in the butter until soft and just beginning to caramelize. Add the olives, pecan nuts and cream and simmer. Season to taste.

Yield: 2 servings
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LEEK COULIS
1 leek, about 1 ½ cups cubed
1 clove of garlic, chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon butter (15 milliliters)
½ cup dry Frank Reh Lark Rise Riesling white wine (125 milliliters)
1 tablespoon corn starch (15 milliliters)
1 ½ cups 10% cream (375 milliliters)
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped (30 milliliters)
salt and pepper

Preparation time is 10 minutes
Ease of preparation is easy

Sauté the leek, garlic and parsley in the butter for a couple of minutes. Add the white wine and bring to a simmer. Reduce until just 1 tablespoon remains.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the cream and add to the leeks. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Season to taste. Add the fresh coriander and pour the mixture into a food processor and puree. Reheat and serve with lamb.

Yield: 8 servings
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Recipe Courtesy of Chef Michael Allemeier, Executive Chef at Teatro in Calgary, Alberta, Canada