Making a Demi Glace

by Joe
(Sweden)

Chef Todd,

I wanted to make a demi glace at home but there are so many sites saying it's too much work and you can get the same result with a store bought product. Is it worth the effort to make my own demi glace?

I also wanted to thank you for your videos. I have only been watching them for a couple days but they have inspired me. I feel that with cooking I can really express myself and create something that people will like. I have an analogy that I think sums up what you are saying in your videos. Just because someone has a guitar doesn't mean they can play music or if someone has a car it doesn't mean they can drive, just like if someone has a recipe it doesn't mean they can cook. We all have the same tools, it's just about how we use them to create something. Thanks so much for your videos!

Joe


Chef Todd Says:
For the home cook, yes. Yes, demi-glace is too much bother. For a substitution, you can use beef bases, which are condensed stocks that come in a paste form. I've even used canned beef gravy in place of demi glace in a desperate moment.

I think I've answered this question before, but demi glace is a mixture of brown sauce and brown stock. The stock must be made very carefully to caramelize sugars in the bones, but still extract the collagen or aspic from the marrow of the bones to give the structure of demi glace.

This mixture is then simmered, reduced, simmered, reduced over and over for a day or two until you yield something that looks like beef jello when cooled.

The flavor is unparalleled, and for an upscale restaurant, it should be part of the prep list. However, it's a bit much for home cooking when there are many substitutions and condiments that can give a full beef flavor without three days of effort.

Chef Todd.