Demi-glace (, 'half glaze') is a rich
brown sauce in
French cuisine
French cuisine is the cooking traditions and practices of France. In the 14th century, Guillaume Tirel, a Court (royal), court chef known as "Taillevent", wrote ''Le Viandier'', one of the earliest recipe collections of medieval France. In ...
used by itself or as a base for other sauces. The term comes from the
French word ''glace'', which, when used in reference to a sauce, means "icing" or "glaze." It is traditionally made by combining one part
espagnole sauce and one part
brown stock. The sauce is then reduced by half, strained of any leftover impurities, and finished with a
sherry wine.
Common variants of demi-glace use a 1:1 mixture of beef or chicken stock to sauce espagnole; these are referred to as "beef demi-glace" (''demi-glace au bœuf'') or "chicken demi-glace" (''demi-glace au poulet'').
Preparation

Due to the considerable effort involved in making the traditional demi-glace, chefs commonly substitute a simple ''jus lié'' of veal stock or to create a simulated version, which the American cookbook author
Julia Child
Julia Carolyn Child (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for having brought French cuisine to the American pu ...
referred to as a "semi-demi-glace" (i.e. sans espagnole sauce).
See also
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Gypsy sauce
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List of sauces
The following is a list of notable Culinary art, culinary and prepared sauces used in cooking and food service.
General
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Meat glaze
References
Further reading
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Auguste Escoffier
Georges Auguste Escoffier (; 28 October 1846 – 12 February 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur, and culinary writer who popularised and updated traditional French cooking methods. Much of Escoffier's technique was based on that of Marie-A ...
's half glaze recipe.
{{Brown sauces
Brown sauces
Steak sauces
de:Kraftsauce