Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (69 page)

4)
Sauce

A 2- to 3-quart saucepan

4 Tb flour

3 Tb soft butter in a 1-quart bowl

A rubber spatula

A wire whip

Set cover askew and pour cooking liquid out of casserole into saucepan. Discard herb bouquet and bones from casserole. With a large spoon, skim as much surface fat as you can from liquid, then bring to the simmer, skimming, to remove more fat.

Taste carefully for strength and seasoning; if weak, boil down rapidly to concentrate flavor, adding, if you think it necessary, a little tomato paste, another clove of mashed garlic, more herbs, salt, and pepper. When you are satisfied, remove from heat; you should have about 3 cups of rich and delicious liquid that must now be thickened into a sauce with
beurre manié
. To do so, blend flour and butter to a smooth paste with rubber spatula; beat vigorously into hot liquid with wire whip. When perfectly smooth, bring liquid to the simmer, stirring with wire whip, and simmer 2 minutes. Sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon, meaning it will coat the meat nicely. If too thin, add half again as much
beurre manié;
if too thick, stir in stock or bouillon. Fold the sauce into the meat in the casserole.

(*)
AHEAD-OF-TIME NOTE
: If you are not serving immediately, set cover askew and keep warm in a 120-degree oven, over simmering water, or on a hot-tray. For serving several hours or several days later, let cool; lay plastic wrap over surface, cover, and refrigerate (or wrap airtight and freeze for several weeks).

5)
Serving

If needed: a warm, lightly buttered platter

Parsley sprigs, watercress, or whatever vegetables you wish to use as a garnish

If stew is warm, bring to the simmer again before serving. If it has been chilled, it should simmer 5 to 10 minutes after it has either warmed through slowly on top of the stove or been about 30 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Taste carefully again for seasoning, and if sauce has thickened too much, fold in a little stock or bouillon. Serve either from casserole or turn out onto platter; decorate with greenery or vegetables.

VARIATIONS

Boeuf au Pistou

[Beef Stew with an Herb, Cheese, and Garlic Finish]

This delicious enrichment comes at the very end, after the sauce has been thickened and just before you are ready to serve the beef. The fresh garlic, herbs, cheese, and a bit of tomato will pep up any stew, and is particularly useful for leftovers and canned or frozen mixtures.

To be added just before serving the stew, Step 5.

2 large cloves garlic

A garlic press

A small bowl or mortar

A pestle or wooden spoon

A dozen large leaves of fresh minced basil, or 1 tsp fragrant dried basil or oregano

¼ cup freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese

3 Tb tomato paste

4 dashes Tabasco sauce

Purée garlic through press into bowl. With pestle or wooden spoon, mash it to a paste, then mash with the herbs. Stir in the cheese, tomato paste, and Tabasco. Cover and set aside until you are ready to serve. Stir the
pistou
into finished stew, basting meat with sauce to blend it thoroughly with the
pistou
.

Boeuf à la Provençale

[Beef Stew with Garlic and Anchovy Finish]

The mixture of anchovies, capers, garlic, and parsley described in Volume I, page 324, is an alternate enrichment. Add it as directed for the
pistou
in the preceding recipe.

Boeuf en Pipérade

[Beef Stew with a Garnish of Peppers and Tomatoes]

Another enlivening finish to a stew is the
pipérade
, a fresh sauté of green peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs.

To be added just before serving the
boeuf aux oignons
,
Master Recipe, Step 5
.

2 medium-sized green bell peppers, seeded and diced

2 to 3 Tb olive oil or cooking oil in a frying pan

3 or 4 firm, fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced, and diced

2 large cloves of garlic, mashed or minced

A cover for the pan

Salt and pepper to taste

8 large fresh basil leaves, minced, or ½ tsp fragrant dried basil or oregano and 3 Tb fresh minced parsley

Sauté the diced peppers in the oil over moderately low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, or until almost tender. Fold in the diced tomato pulp and garlic; cover pan and cook slowly for several minutes until tomatoes have rendered their juice. Raise heat and toss vegetables for several minutes over high heat to evaporate almost all liquid. Fold in salt and pepper to taste, and the herbs. Set aside until stew is finished. When reheating stew for serving, fold the
pipérade
into the stew, and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors.