Brown sauce is a French “Mother Sauce” made with a roux and meat stock, which can be used as a base for many derivative sauces. Asian brown sauce is made with molasses, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, while British brown gravy is a vinegary, spicy condiment.
The classic brown sauce is one of five French “Mother Sauces” from which an infinite number of variations are produced.
It starts with a roux made of flour and oil or melted butter, which is cooked until golden brown, eliminating the “mushy” taste of the flour and giving the roux a richer flavor. The roux itself can vary in shades of brown based on the chef’s preference for the taste and color of the final product. However, it is important that the roux is not allowed to burn. A burnt roux will help give a burnt flavor to the final product. The cooked roux is stirred into a brown meat stock – typically veal or beef – and this is cooked until thickened. If an additional thickener is needed, arrowroot, cornstarch, or another thickening agent may be added.
Brown sauce has different names. If it appears in a crockery dish next to a plate of fries at a spoon diner, it’s likely going from the gravy handle. If simmering in a small burnished copper-lined saucepan on the burner of a swanky French place just waiting to be slathered over someone’s chateaubriand, chances are it’s called a sauce de spagnole or demi-glace. Either way, assuming the process and ingredients are essentially the same, it amounts to the same thing.
As one of five “Mother Sauces,” Brown Sauce is wonderfully pliable. It requires adding a few combinations of ingredients to make it into any of many derivative sauces. Add a handful of sauteed mushrooms, voilà – chasseur sauce! Add a swirl of red wine, some sauteed shallots and it becomes Bordelaise sauce. With the addition of sauteed onions and white wine, the brown sauce is now mayonnaise sauce. Madeira, Robert, Perigueux, Diane – these venerable high quality sauces all start with this simple sauce.
Asian Brown Sauce, on the other hand, is something else entirely. This sauce is made from molasses, soy sauce, oyster sauce and other flavorings. It is used in cooking meat and vegetable dishes and is often used as a flavoring for broccoli.
The British condiment that comes in a bottle and is called brown gravy is further removed from the classic gravy idea. Otherwise known by its proper name – HP sauce – this sauce is a fruity, vinegary, spicy infusion that is served to accompany hot and cold dishes.
This hot condiment was first produced in the late nineteenth century, by a fellow Briton who christened it “HP” after the Houses of Parliament, where a restaurant would serve the sauce. Today, Heinz makes the venerable brown-bottled HP sauce, as well as a few flavor variations, including fruity “mild and savory” blends, barbecue, and chile blends. Other brands are Branston and Daddies Favorite.
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