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French Elegance: What Does Bordelaise Sauce Taste Like?

To serve dishes at their finest, splattering bordelaise sauce over them will do the trick.

Once you’ve discovered the enhancement that bordelaise sauce offers, your dishes won’t taste the same without it.

So, what does bordelaise sauce taste like? This high-fat content sauce is primarily made with dry red wine, and bone marrow has a strong taste with a thick texture.

This sauce might end up on your list of favorite ingredients to add to a recipe.

If you’re hearing about bordelaise sauce for the first time, keep reading to find out more.

Once you start using this sauce, there won’t be going back.

What is Bordelaise Sauce?

Bordelaise sauce is a classic French sauce, famously known as the five French mother sauce (among 4 others).

This means that the sauce is very versatile and can be added over another sauce or a variety of other dishes.

It came from the Bordeaux region of France, where people produce quality wines.

So, it is no wonder how they created a sauce creatively based on red wine.

The ingredients in bordelaise sauce include dry red wine, bone marrow, shallots, butter, and sauce demi-glace.

Bordelaise sauce generally has a thick and creamy texture.

It makes a great addition to various dishes, especially red meat like steak and grilled beef.

There are two versions of bordelaise sauce.

The first is the French Bordelaise, and the other is the New Orleans bordelaise sauce.

These two varieties have different tastes based on the ingredients they use, with New Orleans bordelaise sauce including garlic in the recipe.

What Does Bordelaise Sauce Taste Like?

Now that you know that bordelaise sauce is a wonderful French sauce used to enhance cooking and dishes, you might wonder what it actually tastes like.

Depending on the way you prepare it and the spices and herbs used, bordelaise sauce can have different tastes and flavors.

Bordelaise sauce features a complex flavor.

It has an intense earthy flavor with tones of red wine and beef.

The flavor of the sauce is produced by shallots and red wine.

Because of the red wine, bordelaise sauce can be somewhat sweet while a deep and rich flavor is maintained by shallots.

If you decide to make bordelaise sauce, be sure to use the exact quantity of the ingredients so that the flavor of one item does not overpower the flavor of the whole sauce.

This special sauce tastes its finest when added to dishes made of beef.

But they also make the perfect addition to several other sauces to enhance the taste of dishes like duck and chicken.

If you haven’t tried bordelaise sauce yet, you can compare its taste to Chasseur and Bearnaise sauce.

Both these sauces have identical cooking styles and ingredients as well.

So, they might give you an idea of what bordelaise sauce would taste like.

When it comes to Bearnaise sauce, the similarities are that both of them use butter and egg yolks as a base.

They both complement well with beef.

But the difference is that while bordelaise sauce has a rich beefy flavor, Bearnaise sauce has a flavor of herbs.

How to Make Bordelaise Sauce?

It’s easy to make your own bordelaise sauce if you have the right ingredients.

There is nothing fancy in making a home-based bordelaise sauce.

If you’re a beginner, you can check out this simple recipe on how to make this popular mother sauce.

The ingredients you’ll need are one teaspoon of butter, one cup of red wine, two cups of veal stock, four large peeled and sliced shallots, black pepper, and one pinch of salt.

The first step is to melt the butter over low heat in a pan.

  • Put the shallots and stir them consistently for about 20 minutes.
  • Cook until the shallots turn brown.
  • The next step is to pour the cup of red wine into the pan.
  • Bring the heat down to a simmer, and make sure you don’t burn it.
  • Let the wine cook until the texture attains the thickness of light syrups.
  • Then, add veal stock and cook for another ten minutes.
  • And voila. Your very own bordelaise sauce.

Now all you need to do is strain the sauce out and add salt and pepper for taste.

While making bordelaise sauce, take care not to use cooking wine.

A simple bottle of wine you’d normally drink during the weekend will work just fine.

What Does Bordelaise Taste Good with?

Bordelaise sauce can taste good with a lot of dishes, from scallops to steak.

As a versatile sauce, there are lots of dishes whose tastes can be made better with bordelaise sauce.

But if you want to enjoy the sauce at its finest, be sure to pair it with beef and surprise yourself with the savor it provides.

Here is a list of the dishes that you should try out with bordelaise sauce.

1 – Steak

The best combination of bordelaise sauce is steak because it brings out the flavor in the meat.

The best example of this dish would be the French Steak au poivre.

2 – Roast Beef

Roast beef tastes scrumptious on its own.

But you can score yourself a delightful treat by adding bordelaise sauce to roast beef.

The sauce will add more flavor and texture to the beef.

3 – Tenderloin

Another great item that pairs well with bordelaise sauce is the tenderloin.

This tender part of the beef tastes like wonder when eaten along with bordelaise sauce.

The best way to enjoy this mouth-watering dish is to marinate the tenderloin in the sauce overnight and then roast it.

4 – Scallops

It might not be very common, but Bordelaise sauce is also used in seafood to bring out the best flavor.

This rich and deep-flavored sauce makes it the perfect sauce to enrich delicate seafood.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve discovered a gem of a sauce, it’s time to put this recipe to the best use.

Bordelaise sauce is highly popular in many recipes, especially the ones involving red meat.

Make your own sauce and turn the whole experience, from making to tasting, into something you’ll never forget.

For anything to taste delightful, the right amount of ingredients and effort work hand in hand.

So, be sure to take your time in preparing this marvelous sauce that’ll help you enjoy your steak in a better way.

Once you start dipping snacks into the sauce, you’ll be glad that you decided to make it.

What Does Bordelaise Sauce Taste Like? Does It Taste Good?

Curious about the flavors of Bordelaise sauce? Wondering if it's a delightful addition to your culinary repertoire? Delve into our guide to discover the taste profile of Bordelaise sauce and whether it's a palate-pleasing choice for your dishes.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Food Taste
Servings 1 Serving

Ingredients
  

  • Bordelaise sauce
  • Ingredients from your favorite recipes

Instructions
 

  • Depending on the ingredients used, the cooking method, and the type of dish, the taste of the food can vary greatly.
  • Make sure to select a recipe that will elevate the food’s original flavor, and enjoy experimenting with different recipes!
Keyword What Does Bordelaise Sauce Taste Like
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