Madeira sauce

2016-04-01

Madeira sauce is often served over beef tongue, but certainly not exclusively so. Madeira sauce can be used with many other dishes and there are undoubtedly other sauces for tongue, although I can’t think of a better one right now. ;-)

Tomatoes are not required for this sauce, but are often added in varying quantities. For formal occasions, serve with potato croquettes.

In French cuisine, this sauce is derived from espagnole and demi-glace. I make it as a beef broth velouté with mushrooms.

To save time and dishes, I also have prepared this as a full-meal stew with potatoes and carrots.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 2 quarts:

1 veal / beef tongue, cooked, sliced, 2-4 lbs.
3 pts. broth, sieved
½ cup flour (for the roux)
4 tbsp. butter (for the roux)
1 lb. button mushrooms, quartered
1 tbsp. butter
1 shallot, minced ½ lemon / lime, juiced
5 fl. oz. Madeira wine (small shot glass)
a few sprigs of curly parsley, minced
S&P

optional:

2 tbsp. tomato paste (optional)

Pic1: Madeira sauce

Directions

Pic2: sweat the shallots
Pic3: fry the flour
Pic4: strain the broth

Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a frying pan. Add the minced shallot and S&P to taste. (Pic2)
Add the mushrooms and fry for a few minutes until first browning. Set aside.
Heat 4 tbsp. butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.
Stir the flour into the hot butter. Sauté until the flour turns light brown. (Pic3)
Strain the broth to remove meat and vegetables. (Pic4)

Pic5: too thick
Pic6: just right
Pic7: mushrooms and tomato

Whisk some of the broth into the roux.
Let the sauce thicken.
Add additional broth if the sauce is too thick (Pic5) until the sauce is smooth. (Pic6)
Add the (optional) tomato paste and the mushrooms. (Pic7)

Pic8: slice the tongue
Pic9: add Madeira wine
Pic10: keeping warm

Cut the tongue in thin slices. (Pic8)
Add the minced parsley, fresh lemon juice and S&P to taste.
Simmer a few minutes.
Last of all: remove from the heat and stir the Madeira wine into the sauce. (Pic9)
Go slowly and taste halfway. This is strong stuff.
After adding the Madeira, keep the sauce warm over low heat until serving time but do not boil.

Serve and enjoy:

Arrange tongue on each plate.
Add a generous portion of the sauce. (Pic1)
If the guests are running late, keep the tongue warm by adding them to the sauce. (Pic10)

Serving suggestion:

Serve the tongue 'Madeira' with potato croquettes.

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org