Sauces Derived From Demi-Glacé:

Bordelaise:

1. Combine 10 ozs. green onions, 2 sprigs thyme. 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. whole pepper corns with 1 pint red wine.

2. Reduce by 1/2.

3. Add 1 quart Demi-glacé-reduce until veneers back of spoon.

4. Add 4 ozs. poached marrow. Finish.

Chateaubriand Sauce:

1. Combine 1 pint white wine, 14 ozs. shallots, 2 sprigs thyme, mushroom trimmings, and 1 bay leaf

 2. Reduce by half - until veneers back of spoon.

3. Finish with Maitre d' Hotel Butter (butter, lemon juice, minced parsley).

Fines Herbs:

1.  Add fines herbs to 1 qt. demi-glacé.

Jus de Veau Lie:

1. Add a slurry of corn starch or arrowroot to hot demi-glace. 
Madera-

1. To 1 quart of demi-glacé add 8 ozs. Madera.

Marsala Sauce-

1. In 1 quart demi-glacé combine 3 Tbsps. shallots and1/4 tsp. cracked pepper corns.

2. Reduce over moderate heat. Add 3 ozs. Marsala.

Mushroom:

1. Add sliced or whole mushrooms.

Robert Sauce:

1. Sauté 14 ozs. minced onions

2. Add 1 pint white wine; reduce by 3/4.

3. Add 1 quart demi-glacé and reduce by 1/2

4. Dissolve 2 tsps. dry mustard in water. Add to sauce. Finish with butter.

©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.

Gravy Success

1. Lift meat from roasting pan.

2. Drain off excess fat, leaving 2Tbsps. for each cup of gravy desired.

3. Add 2 Tbsps. of flour (or other starch) for every 2 Tbsps. of fat.

4. Blend flour and fat together to form a roux (Do not mix flour and water); the use of a "white-wash or slurry" is the much inferior American method and rather than improving the flavour, leaves a raw flour taste. You are also much more likely to end up with a “lumpy” product, which you will be forced to chew (white-wash was once used to paint fences and out-buildings; which is probably the best use for it).

Stir the roux until it becomes a rich brown colour.

5. Make sure it does not burn.

6. Add one cup cold liquid for each 2 Tbsps. of roux (the liquid may be water, milk or stock-caution must be used to avoid scorching- milk or meat stock.

7. Stir constantly until liquid thickens and comes to a boil.

8. Season with salt and pepper.

Baked Potato, Varieties

All the baked variations below stem from the Baked Jacket potato ie. Pommes au Four-“four is the French for oven.

Cooking Hints for Baked Potatoes

·        For best results, always use Canadian, Russet, baking potatoes if available.

·        Heat oven to 425 F. Pierce potato in several places to allow steam to escape and to make a fluffier potato (also, if this is not done, potatoes have been known to explode).Place potato on oven rack or baking sheet. Bake 40 to 55 minutes.

·        To test the potatoes, do not pierce them with a fork, but squeeze them with the hand wrapped in a towel. If a soft skin is desired, potatoes may be wiped with fat and sprinkled with salt, do not wrap in foil; so doing produces a steamed potato not baked. The skin on baked potatoes should be broken immediately after cooking, in order to prevent their steaming and becoming soggy. Note: Restaurants now often steam potatoes, usually  days ahead of time; wrap them in foil; and then simply reheat at time of service; which is why they are usually either very soggy, or sickly yellow and dried out.

·        To serve, use small knife to cut a cross on top Push sides and ends gently to fluff. Mix potato with milk, sour cream, or butter, if desired. For more variety, add crumbled bacon , or diced ham, and snipped chives (or green onion ) to potato filling

Do Not- I repeat again- Do Not wrap potatoes in aluminium foil which will trap steam and give them a soggy, course texture, sickly yellow appearance, and an entirely different flavour.Potatoes wrapped in any material are not baked- they are steamed or braised

Many restaurants now use this practice (claiming the potato keeps better    

Truthfully, only establishments that are, placing the potato in a steam table, or reheating precooked potatoes for later service should have this concern.

The number of potatoes being baked does not change baking time in a conventional oven.

Stuffed Potatoes on the Half-Shell-Baked Variation

Select large Canadian grown Russet potatoes; scrub and bake. Remove from oven and cut potatoes in two-lengthwise. Scoop out the inside, being careful not to break the shell. Mash very thoroughly or preferably put them through a ricer-unless you intend to use Duchess Potatoes, add butter, salt and milk, and beat well. Pile or pipe the mixture lightly back into the shells. Do not smooth down the top. Stand the filled shells in a shallow pan, return to the oven (400 F.) and brown lightly on top. You may tuck in small cocktail franks before serving, or add ½ cup peanut butter and 2 egg whites to the potato mixture

Pommes De Terre Gratinées-Baked Variation

Variations:

Pommes De Terre Gratinées

·        Cut baked (not foil wrapped, steamed) potato in half lengthwise.

·        Scoop out potato leaving skins whole

·        Mash the potato and season. Pipe back into the skin.

·        Sprinkle top with grated cheese and brown in oven.