Robert sauce is a historic French sauce made with white wine, vinegar, butter, Dijon, tomato paste, and mirepoix. It is a version of the core French sauce called espagnole and requires precision to make. The sauce is often paired with meat and potato dishes and has been a staple of French cuisine for at least four centuries. Its namesake is unknown.
France is considered a culinary mecca, largely due to the complicated methods and sauces developed by its chefs throughout history. One of the most nuanced and historic compound French sauces is called Robert sauce, pronounced “deer bear.” This mustard-tinged brown sauce is often paired with meat and potato dishes to impart different flavors from white wine, vinegar, butter, Dijon, tomato paste, and the core of many Western cuisines, mirepoix – a diced mixture of carrots, onion and celery.
According to the 1973 book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in which chef Julia Child famously educated the greater Western world on the finer points of the country’s culinary proficiency, Robert sauce is a version of the core French sauce called espagnole, which requires precision. It starts with a traditional brown sauce, or demi glace, which is common to many French dishes. This sauce often includes a mirepoix, butter, bacon, tomato paste, flour, and beef stock. It also includes several herbs such as thyme, bay leaf and parsley.
Simply combining all of these ingredients in a small pot won’t be enough. First, a roux is formed, which is a mixture of ghee and flour. Into this base pour meat broth and a little water, together with the mirepoix, a little crispy bacon and herbs. Finally, after forming into a gravy, a little tomato paste is added, along with more stock if needed.
While the sauce is being prepared in one pan, another pan holds a diced onion caramelized in butter. Before the onions are browned, the white wine is added to the pan and this continues to simmer until the alcohol content is cooked through. The demi glace and wine soaked onions are then mixed and cooked until the Robert sauce has a thick consistency. The last step is a dollop or two of Dijon mustard, along with more butter, salt, and pepper to taste.
It is not clear who the “Robert” in Robert sauce refers to. No one is quite sure how many hundreds of years a French culinary staple has also been around; some have dated it to 600 years ago. It is undeniable, however, that Robert sauce has an established place as a staple of French cuisine, with its ingredients remaining unchanged for at least four centuries. It is still regularly found spread on beef, pork, and other meats and potatoes when served as a side dish.
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