CELEBRATING THE FOODS OF BORDEAUX

Credit: Viking

European river cruises are booming these days, and why not? Ply European rivers at a leisurely pace, step right off the dock at an historic destination, enjoy food and wine native to the region. One of the new itineraries in 2014 for Viking River Cruises is their "Chateaux, Rivers and Wine" cruise through France's Bordeaux region. And what says "Bordeaux" than a rich Bordelaise Sauce? In that spirit, Viking is sharing this famous recipe. If you want to try it, we can be there at 8. -- Gerry

Sauce Bordelaise

Source: Viking River Cruises

Sauce Bordelaise (bore duh LAZ) is a great accompaniment for any grilled red meat. Bordeaux wine is the key to this recipe’s rich taste. The author of this classic recipe is Georges Auguste Escoffier; it appears in his book Le Guide Culinaire, first published in French in 1903 and now in its fourth edition. Viking provides this recipe to celebrate its Châteaux, Rivers & Wine itinerary through France’s Bordeaux region, new for 2014.

Ingredients:


One and one-quarter cup Bordeaux wine (a dry red wine)
One ounce finely chopped shallots
Ground pepper to taste
One whole bay leaf
One sprig thyme or one-quarter teaspoon dried thyme
Two and one-quarter cups demi-glace
You can buy demi-glace at a gourmet shop like Williams-Sonoma or Whole Foods, or in packets on Amazon.com. You can also substitute a high quality beef stock or consommé.
One teaspoon melted butter
Juice of one-quarter lemon
Two ounces beef bone marrow, poached and diced
You can get bone marrow at your market’s meat counter. Bone marrow will give the sauce an extra richness but can be left out.
Mushrooms, if desired

Directions:

Warm the demi-glace in a saucepan over medium heat.

Bring the wine, shallots, pepper, bay leaf and thyme gently to a boil in a stockpot and cook slowly until the quantity is reduced to one-quarter. Add the demi-glace and gently simmer for another 15 minutes. Strain the sauce. If you are using mushrooms, sauté them in a skillet and add to the pot. Finish with the butter, lemon juice and bone marrow. Serve over a grilled steak, slow-roasted beef or other red meat; the sauce is a good complement to roasted or mashed potatoes.

Makes 3–4 servings.