Meurette Sauce

Yeild: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• Bacon, small dice -  1 Oz
• Onion, small chop -  2 Oz (half a large)
• Carrot, small chop -  1 Oz (1/3 a large)
• Celery, small chop –  1 Oz (1/2 a stalk)
• Red wine -  10 fl Oz
• Butter - 1 Tablespoon
• All Purpose Flour -  1 Tablespoon
• Salt and Pepper -  to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a medium saute pan over low heat, add the bacon, and cook until some of the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pan with the bacon.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt, about 1/2 teaspoon.  Cook over medium low heat until the vegetables are softened.
3. In a small bowl, mix the butter and flour with your hands until they form a ball. Set aside.
4. Once the vegetables are softened, add the red wine to the pan, and increase the heat to bring the sauce to a boil.  Boil until the sauce is reduced by half.  If it is too thick, add water back to the sauce.
5. Strain the sauce to remove the vegetables and bacon bits.
6. Put the sauce back in the pan over medium heat and whisk in the butter/flour mixture.  Bring the sauce to a boil while stirring then reduce the heat to a simmer for another minute.  At this point check your sauce for consistency (boil to reduce further and thicken, or add water to thin if out).  Also check for seasoning add salt as needed.

Tips: you are looking for the sauce to be nappe consistency after the final step.  This means the sauce “coats the back of a spoon” but is not so thick that there is no spread when dabbed on a plate.  Use your senses – you will know if it is too thick or thin.  Adjust as needed.