Using French words to talk about a home-cooked meal makes it sound like something you’d find in a fancy restaurant.
However, instead of using random French words to make your food sound fancier, why not use some French cooking techniques to make your own food taste better?
Demi-glace is an essential component of French cuisine and is used in a variety of dishes. Demi-glace is versatile, like gravy (but not a gravy). It can be used to spice up bland dishes, make soups and stews taste better, or form the base for tasty sauces.
Demi-glace is a rich brown sauce used by itself or as a base for other sauces in French cooking. It is a “half glaze.”
It is different from stock and gravy – demi-glace is thicker and more flavorful. It’s a dark sauce that combines brown stock from meat with Espagnole sauce.
You take half of the brown sauce (the Espagnole sauce) and half of the brown stock and reduce them by half. This is why it’s called a “demi” (or “half”) glaze.
Demi-glace can be a sauce on its own or act as a base sauce. It will uplift the flavor of your food and give it a deeper and richer taste.
Demi glace is a quintessential French sauce that can instantly elevate hearty meat dishes like steak, roasts, and stews. This glossy brown sauce is made by simmering and reducing a mixture of veal or beef stock and an espagnole sauce.
The lengthy reduction process results in an intensely flavored syrupy glace that coats your tongue in meaty savoriness with each bite. But while demi glace is beloved for its robust flavor, the traditional preparation is extremely time and labor-intensive.
Finding an easy substitute for this classic French sauce can save you hours in the kitchen without sacrificing the rich savory flavor you’re looking for. Whether you’re short on time want to avoid using veal, or simply don’t have demi glace on hand, there are plenty of options for substitutions.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best substitutes for veal demi glace that you likely already have in your pantry. Let’s get cooking!
An Overview of Demi Glace
Before we dive into substitutes, let’s do a quick overview of what exactly demi glace is and how it’s used.
Demi glace begins with veal or beef stock that is simmered for hours until reduced by half or more Thisconcentrated stock is then combined with espagnole sauce, which is one of the five “mother sauces” in French cuisine
Espagnole sauce consists of browned bones, mirepoix vegetables, tomatoes, and red wine that are slowly reduced into an intense, brown sauce. Combining the reduced stock and espagnole creates a glossy, uber-rich sauce called demi glace.
The lengthy cooking process melds the flavors together into a sauce that is mile high in umami savoriness. Demi glace is used to enhance the flavor of braised meats, reductions, gravies, stews and more. Just a spoonful can bring huge flavor.
But all that reducing takes a lot of time – we’re talking 10 or more hours of simmering. That’s where substitutes come in handy!
9 Tasty Substitutes for Veal Demi Glace
If you don’t have time to simmer a demi glace from scratch, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with easy substitutions you likely have on hand.
1. Beef or Veal Stock + Red Wine
An easy shortcut is to combine reduced beef or veal stock with red wine. Simply simmer pre-made stock until reduced by half or more, then add an equal amount of red wine like Pinot Noir or Cabernet. Continue reducing until thickened. This mimics the flavors of traditional demi glace in a fraction of the time.
2. Reduced Beef Broth
On a similar note, reducing store-bought or homemade beef broth is an easy substitute. Cook it down until thickened to intensify the flavor. Brown the broth first for deeper flavor.
3. Mushroom Sauce
Sautéing mushrooms in butter or oil to concentrate their umami flavor results in a rich, savory sauce that works beautifully in place of demi glace. Especially delicious with steak! Add a splash of wine or broth to thin.
4. Commercial Demi Glace
Several companies make commercial demi glace concentrates that you just reconstitute with water. Perfect for when you need an emergency demi glace fix! Popular brands are More Than Gourmet and Williams-Sonoma.
5. Gravy
Gravy is an easy swap, though it won’t mimic demi glace exactly. Use beef gravy, or make your own by combining pan drippings with broth and thickening. Add umami flavor with tomato paste or mushrooms.
6. Au Jus
Au jus is made from the delicious pan drippings of roasted meat. Cook the drippings down to a sauce-like consistency. It’s a simple way to add meaty flavor.
7. Soy Sauce + Beef Broth
This unlikely combo makes a quick faux demi glace. Combine reduced beef broth with a splash of soy sauce, which adds savory umami flavors similar to a long-simmered sauce.
8. Tomato Paste + Chicken Broth + Gelatin
Food science wizard J. Kenji López-Alt created a shortcut demi glace using this genius combo. The gelatin gives it a rich body while the tomato paste provides deep, meaty flavor.
9. Vegan Demi Glace
Vegans can get in on the demi glace fun too! Make it by simmering mushrooms, vegetables, herbs and spices in water to extract flavor. Thicken with starch and voila – faux demi.
Tips for Using Demi Glace Substitutes
When using a substitute for demi glace, keep these tips in mind:
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Reduce store-bought broths to intensify flavor. Higher reduction = more intensity.
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Add umami boosters like tomato paste, mushrooms, red wine, and soy sauce.
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If the substitute is thinner than demi glace, thicken it with a slurry of cornstarch/water or flour/butter.
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For a smooth, rich texture, whisk in a bit of butter, cream, or cream cheese at the end.
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Freeze reduced broths or sauces in ice cube trays for easy use later.
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Lean towards beef-based subs for closest flavor, but mushroom and veggie subs work too.
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Demi glace substitutes likely won’t mimic the flavor perfectly. The long simmering process is hard to replicate quickly. But these subs will still add plenty of flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best substitute for demi glace?
The best substitute is reducing beef or veal stock and red wine, which mimics traditional demi glace most closely. Commercial demi glace concentrates are a close second for convenience.
Is gravy a good substitute?
Yes, beef gravy can work in place of demi glace in a pinch, though it won’t provide an exact flavor match. Make it more umami-rich by browning the meat drippings first and adding tomato paste or mushrooms.
Can you use demi glace powder?
Absolutely! Demi glace powder is an easy shortcut you just mix with hot water for an instant sauce. Popular brands include More Than Gourmet, Williams-Sonoma, and Savory Choice.
What gives demi glace its flavor?
The incredible flavor comes from long simmering of veal or beef bones which extracts collagen and concentrates meaty flavors. Espagnole sauce and wine also add complexity. Replicating this flavor quickly isn’t easy!
Is demi glace gluten free?
Traditional demi glace is gluten free, however some commercial products or substitutes may contain small amounts of wheat flour or other glute ingredients. Check labels to be sure.
Time to Ditch the Demi Glace
There you have it – 9 delicious options for replacing time-intensive demi glace that you likely have on hand already. With a simple beef broth reduction or flavor-packed mushroom sauce, you can easily mimic the rich, meaty qualities of this classic French sauce.
Demi glace may be the gold standard, but when you’re short on time don’t let the lack of this one ingredient stop you from putting an amazing dish on the table. With the simple substitutions above, you can still achieve rich, robust flavor worthy of any French brasserie.
Now it’s time to get cooking! Ditch the demi glace, grab one of these easy swaps, and prepare to impress your dinner guests with incredible flavor. Bon appétit!
Demi-Glace At Home: Tips and Tricks
Now that you know how to make demi-glace, let’s talk about some recipes that use it!
- Freeze Demi-Glace. If you’re not feeding a lot of people, you’ll probably have demi-glace left over. If you freeze the demi-glace for 3–4 months, you can use it for fancy meals at home in the future.
- Put Demi-Glace in the Fridge: You can also put demi-glace in the fridge for up to two weeks in a sealed container.
- Taste Better: Demi-glace can be used to improve the taste of stews, soups, and stir-fries!
- Make a Sauce: Demi-glace can be used as a base for tasty sauces like mushroom sauce and red wine sauce.
Apart from adding demi-glace into other recipes, it can be used on its own. Pour your demi-glace onto roasted meats and even steaks and pork chops!.
How to Make a Basic Demi-Glace
Typically, demi-glace is made with fresh stock made from leftover meat and bones. However, as a shortcut, you can use high-quality stock.
To make a demi-glace, you will need some cheesecloth as well as cooking twine.
As for the ingredients, here is what you will need:
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6-8 fresh parsley stems
- 8-10 whole peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup chopped yellow onions
- ¼ cup chopped carrots
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups stock, divided
- Salt, to taste
Place the ingredients for the spice pouch on a square of cheesecloth. Then, use the cooking twine to tie the bundle together.
Place a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the butter, onions, celery, and carrots. Saute for a couple of minutes (until the onions become translucent).
Sprinkle in the flour, stirring until it forms a paste. Stir frequently and cook for around 3 minutes until the flour is a light brown.
Whisk in 3 cups of stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it starts to boil, turn it down to a simmer, add the spice pouch, and cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid is about a third of the way down.
Remove the pan from the heat and set aside the spice pouch. Carefully pour the sauce through a cheesecloth-lined wire mesh strainer. Use a spoon to gently push the sauce away from the vegetables.
Return the sauce to the pan, stir in the remaining stock, and throw in the spice pouch.
Bring the contents back to a boil then lower to a simmer. Leave it there for about 50 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half.
Toss the spice pouch and strain the sauce through a fresh piece of cheesecloth.
Before serving, season the demi-glace to taste with salt.
Demi-glace is typically made with veal bones that have been reduced to a stock. This is because veal bones have more collagen than beef bones. While simmering, the collagen transforms into gelatin and creates a thicker and richer stock.
However, that’s not to say you can’t use beef stock when making a demi-glace.
In fact, it’s possible to make a chicken demi-glace as well. Simply simmer chicken wings in a pot to extract the flavor and use this stock in your demi-glace.
To make the chicken taste even better, add white wine and leek to the carrots, onion, and celery!