The Juices that collect in the sous vide pouch during processing can be clarified according to the procedure described HERE. This post explains how to transform your most recent batch of Sous Jus into a viable hotel-style sauce–in about fifteen minutes.
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil, 1 Tablespoon. Onion, 1 oz/ 30 g, finely chopped. Tomato paste, 2 teaspoons/10 g. Red wine, 2 oz/60 ml. Flour, 1 scant Tablespoon. Salt, 1 measured teaspoon/6 g. Clarified sous jus + water to total 12 oz/350 ml.
Equipment requirements:
Paper towels. Medium skillet. Flat spatula or wooden spoon. Kitchen strainer.
Procedure:
Season and sear your sous vide processed steak, roast, chicken breast, pork chop, etc. as desired. For a detailed explanation of the various methods, visit HERE. Remove the protein from the skillet and set aside in a warm place–an oven set on the warming function at 145 F/63 C or on the back of the stove for example. Heat the pan to 300 F/150 C and add the oil.
Add the onions and stir to coat.Brown the onions–avoid stirring excessively. Stirring slows the caramelization process.Add the tomato paste.Stir well to coat the onions–this will stop them from browning any further.Brown the tomato paste as much as possible.As the paste browns, the oil will begin to leak out.Use a paper towel to blot the excess oil.Use tongs or a spatula to push the paper towel against the mixture.Add the red wine. Red wine adds color and flavor, but it should not be used to create volume. If it is your desire to add dried herbs to your sauce, this is the time to do it.Reduce the wine until the oil starts to leak out of the mixture again. Remove from heat.Use a dredge/shaker (or sifter) to shake just enough flour over the mixture to absorb the oil. Do not attempt to cook or “brown” the flour in this state–this is not a roux. Applying heat at this moment will cause the moist paste to “seize,” preventing it from dissolving into the sauce itself.Stir to make a smooth paste.Return to heat and add HALF of the water/sous jus mixture. The sauce will begin to tighten immediately.Add the remaining water/sous jus mixture and the pinch of salt. If it is your desire to add fresh herbs to your sauce, this is the time to do it.Return to simmer. Cook for five minutes and pass through a fine strainer. If necessary, reduce to the desired consistency.
Service:
Check seasonings. Yield: approximately 6 oz/175 ml.
Chain Restaurants first, then Culinary School, then, French/Swiss/German, Italian, Seafood (lots of those), Steakhouses, Private Clubs, Nouvelle Cuisine, then, Lake Tahoe Hotels, Reno Hotels, Laughlin Hotels, and Vegas Hotels (Caesars, most notably), then, back to the Bay Area and another free standing Steak House. Then, 2008 happened.
