Level Up - Demi-glace

Level Up is a new series from Bon Appétit Management Company focused on cooking techniques that our chefs use every day to elevate their from-scratch dishes — and you can, too! Read the tips, watch the video, and try the recipes. We’re collecting all of the Level Up installments here.

Demi-glace is worth the wait. Invest the time and effort and this sauce will reward you with deep flavor.

Let’s not pull any punches: Making demi-glace takes time. First you make a rich brown stock out of roasted beef bones (or roasted vegetables), which you’ll simmer for hours. From that, you’ll make the full-bodied Mother Sauce known as Sauce Espagnole (or simply Brown Sauce). Then (nope, we’re not done yet) you’ll combine equal parts rich brown stock (hopefully you have some left) and Sauce Espagnole and simmer the two together until the quantity is reduced by half. The result is demi-glace, a glossy, deep brown sauce, almost the color of chocolate, that is — and we don’t think we’re overstating things here — a magical savory elixir. 

While it’s not technically a Mother Sauce, demi-glace is the base for most of the European-style “small brown sauces” such as Bordelaise and Chasseur. But, you don’t have to feel obliged to stick to making classic brown sauces with it. Use a few tablespoons of demi-glace to enrich a soup or stew, punch up a pan sauce, make a stir fry more savory, or add a hauntingly meaty note to a pot of beans. 

• Confused by all the brown sauces? This guide by The Spruce Eats explains the savory sauce differences.
• Demi-glace in half the time? Try this saucy shortcut from The Spruce Eats that’s half the effort, without sacrificing flavor.
• If there’s a demi-glace, is there a “regular” glace? Yup, and MasterClass explains the difference in this guide to glaces.