Published December 12, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Demi-Glace is a flavorful brown sauce to enrich other elegant sauces, add to soups and stews, or spoon over pork chops, duck breast, and other roasted meats. Use this easy-to-follow recipe to learn how to make this classic French sauce at home.
Making demi-glace at home may sound intimidating, but the process is foolproof. The reward is a profoundly savory brown sauce (similar to beef au jus or brown gravy) that adds a touch of sophistication to any dish, from French classics to modern creations. I’ll admit that this recipe takes some patience, but I promise the steps are easy to follow, and the results are worth the time.
What is Demi-Glace?
Demi-glace (French for “half glaze”) is a rich brown sauce made from equal parts espagnole sauce and veal or beef stock. It was created by the famed Auguste Escoffier in the early 1900s. They’re slowly simmered over low heat to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavors, resulting in a mouthwatering and remarkably versatile demi-glace.
This sauce is an excellent base for sauce bordelaise and other small sauces. It’s also well-suited as a standalone finishing sauce for roasted meats like beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin, veal, and delicate game such as duck, cornish hen, and quail. Châteaubriand is another timeless pairing, a classic French dish featuring a thick cut of beef tenderloin.
All of that to say, with this demi-glace recipe, you’re in for a fine dining experience no matter how you decide to enjoy it. This recipe makes nearly 4 quarts, so there’s plenty to go around or save for later.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Espagnole sauce – The base of the demi-glace. This has no substitutions since it is responsible for the demi-glace’s complex flavor profile. Luckily, espagnole sauce can be made well in advance and kept in your fridge or freezer until it’s time to make the glaze.
- Stock – I like to make demi-glace with veal stock for its velvety consistency, but beef stock also works well. Just like in espagnole sauce, your stock’s quality directly affects your demi-glace’s quality and flavor. Use high-quality store-bought stock or make your own from scratch using my Veal Stock or Beef Stock recipe.
- Herbs – Fresh thyme sprigs and parsley stems lend warm and earthy flavors. Fresh rosemary, thyme sprigs, and a bay leaf can also be added.
- Spices – I also used whole peppercorns to season the sauce.
- Garlic – I used a few garlic cloves to infuse a subtle, savory note.
How to Make Demi-Glace
Combine your espagnole sauce and veal stock in a large pot.
Make your sachet d’epices, wrapping the fresh herbs, peppercorns, and garlic cloves in a piece of cheesecloth. Secure it with butcher’s twine and drop it on the pot.
Place the pot over low to medium heat and simmer for 3.5 to 4 hours.
Skim off any impurities or fat that rise to the surface every 45 minutes.
Remove the bouquet garnet once your demi-glace has reduced significantly, strain the sauce, and enjoy.
Try it with seared steak, roast chicken, pan-fried pork chops, coq au vin, or seared duck breast, or use it as a base for soups like French onion or beef and barley.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make the sauce several days or even weeks in advance. The flavors get better over time. If you need to keep the sauce warm before serving, pour it into a saucepan and heat it on low, stirring occasionally until it’s time to eat.
How to Store: Once your demi-glace has cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. Pour the cooled sauce into ice cube trays, freeze until solid, and transfer to a freezer bag. The sauce cubes freeze well for up to 6 months.
How to Reheat: Add one or two sauce cubes to any recipe that needs an extra flavor boost, or gently reheat as much sauce as you need in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Do not boil the sauce; otherwise, it may break or separate.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Make the sauce in a large 2 ½ gallon pot.
- Don’t rush the process. After all, the key to an excellent demi-glace is a long simmer over low heat.
- Skimming the impurities and excess fat on the glaze will prevent it from turning cloudy and tasting greasy. Don’t skip this step.
- If your sauce is too thin, continue simmering until it reaches your desired consistency.
- If it’s too thick, gradually add more stock or water to thin it out.
- If you plan on straining the sauce through a chinois or cheesecloth, you can skip wrapping the herbs, peppercorns, and garlic in cheesecloth. Drop them directly into the pot instead.
- Taste your demi-glace while it’s simmering and after straining to help you control the seasonings and adjust the flavors.
- Feel free to add a pinch of salt or a splash of dry sherry wine after straining for more flavor.
More Sauce Recipes
- Bechamel Sauce Recipe
- Beurre Blanc Sauce Recipe
- Classic Hollandaise Sauce Recipe
- Homemade Velouté Recipe
- Mornay Sauce Recipe
Demi-Glace
Ingredients
- 4 quarts espagnole sauce
- 4 quarts veal stock or beef stock
- 4 to 6 sprigs of thyme
- 4 to 6 parsley stems
- 15 to 18 peppercorns
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves
Instructions
- Combine the espagnole sauce and veal stock together in a large pot that is at least 2 ½ gallons.
- On a 1 x 1 square foot piece of cheesecloth, place to the center the thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and garlic. Fold up the corners and securely tie a double knot around it using butcher’s twine to ensure nothing is coming out. As a note, if you plan on using a chinois to drain everything, you can just place everything in the cheesecloth into the pot.
- Simmer the pot over low to medium heat for 3 ½ to 4 hours or until the amount of liquid has reduced by ½ and all the way to ¾ for a more concentrated flavor.
- Come back every 45 minutes to skim and discard any impurities or fat that collects at the top.
- Strain the demi-glace completely through a chinois, fine mesh strainer, or cheesecloth. Use, or store in the fridge or freezer.
Demi-Glace