Vegan Espagnole Sauce

The original version of this classic ‘mother’ sauce from Carême (and later Escoffier) combined a small amount of tomato with a richly flavored beef stock. It was mainly used as a basis for a large number of derivative sauces – the classic French sauces – or to flavor soups, stews or braised dishes.

My vegan version comes very close to the original in its color, how it tastes and how it’s used in the vegan kitchen…provided it is made using my umami broth as its base. The broth can be thickened with a starch…something like arrowroot or even cornstarch, but I think it is worth the extra time and trouble to make the roux-based version described below. Starches work very well as a thickening agent, but they struggle to hold that binding characteristic when re-heated. A roux-thickened sauce holds up well in refrigeration storage and when re-heated.

The fat plays an important role…first as a binding agent to the starchy flour, and then as a flavoring agent. Unprocessed rapeseed oil is quite viscous and blends nicely with flour to create a homogeneous paste. It also has the added benefit of developing a slight buttery note when heated – a plus for some who miss that particular flavor.

Extra virgin olive oil is substitution candidate, but it also tends to leak when heated too long or when acids are added to the mixture. Unprocessed sunflower oil is another option to consider but be aware of the nutty aromas that might be too intensive for a roux thickened soup or sauce.

I use Espagnole Sauce primarily to create various rich sauces.  My onion sauce is a good example of how I use the concept of roux-thickened umami broth to create a different kind of sauce. I also use the same ideas in making the espagnole sauce in my Mushroom Bourguignon to provide a rich intensity to the dish. This sauce is also delicious on its own – loosened slightly with a bit of water and spooned over creamy mashed potatoes – or used to make hearty soups.

Difficulty: simple- to moderate
Yield: about 1/2-liter (1/2-quart)