Recipe(tried): Bordelaise Sauce and Basic Red Wine Sauce

Bordeaux vs bordelaise sauce

Not being an expert in this sort of thing, I went to the two best resources I had: Food Lover's Companion and The Complete Bk of Sauces. Food Lover's Companion defines Bordelaise as a French term meaning "of or from Bordeaux" and The Complete Book of Sauces has a recipe for red wine sauce and bordelaise sauce. Both contain dry red wine. It appears that the bordelaise sauce is just a richer sauce due to its ingredients. They are very similar. I will post these for you. I hope this helps.

Bordelaise Sauce

This sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Before serving rewarm over low heat until very hot. Also be sure to get beef marrow from the butcher, its rich flavor is indispensible to this recipe.

3 large shallots, minced
2/3 C dry red wine
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
4 T. (1/2 stick) butter
1 T flour
1 C Brown stock, boiled over high heat until
reduced to 2/3 C.
2 T beef marrow, cubed,poached 5 min. in simmering sater to cover, & drained
3 T fresh chopped fresh parsley

Place the shallots, wine, salt, pepper, & thyme in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the liquid is reduced by one half. Remove from the heat & strain thru a sieve.

Melt 1 T. of butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, turn down the heat to low, & cook until browned, about 2 min.. Then pour in the stock and continue to simmer over low heat for another 15 to 20 min., stirring from time to time. Stir in the reduced wine and the marrow & cook several minutes longer. Remove from the heat, beat in the remaining butter & stir in the parsley. Check & correct seasonings, if necessary, and serve very hot. Yield: approx 1 Cup

Basic Red Wine Sauce

This sauce can also be prepared up to 2 days in advance & refrigerated. Rewarm over low heat before serving.

2 C dry red wine
3 large shallots, minced
1 bouquet garni
1 T flour
6 T (3/4 stick) butter
Pinch of red (cayenne) pepper or hot pepper sauce to taste
salt to taste

In a medium size, heavy saucepan over high heat, boil the red wine, shallots, and bouquet garni for 10 min. Strain the suace & bring to a boil again. In the meantime, in a small bowl, cream the flour and 2 T of the butter together to make a smooth paste. Add this paste to the boiling wine a little at a time, stirring after each addition until smooth. Then adjust the heat to low & simmer the suace until thick, about 3 min.

Remove the sauce fromt he heat & whisk in the remaining butter a little at a time. The butter iwll cool the sauce slightly & emulsify easily. Do not overheat or let the butter melt. The sauce should be light & creamy. Season with the red pepper & salt. Serve warm.
Yield: approx 1 1/2 C