Stocks & Sauces | Recipe

Our go-to stocks and sauces recipes for adding flavour to some of our favourite dishes this month.

10% Herb Brine

• 1.6kg water
• 160g salt
• 60g rosemary
• 10g thyme
• 1.6 bay leaves
• 10g garlic cloves
• 3g black peppercorns

Combine the water and salt in a large saucepan and bring to the boil.  Once all the salt has dissolved, 40°C, add herbs and aromatics.  When the brine is completely cool, pass it through a chinois and reserve in the fridge until required.

Chicken Mousse

• 1kg chicken breast
• 40g salt
• 400g double cream
• salt to taste

Place an empty blender jug into the freezer.  Once chilled, place the chicken breasts inside and blend on full speed for 30 seconds, then stop, scrape the mixture down from the edges of the jug and blend again for 30 seconds. Repeat this process once more.  Scrape down the edges again, add the salt and blend for another 30 seconds until smooth.  Pass the purée through a fine tamis sieve into a bowl set over ice, then beat the purée using a spatula.  Gradually add the cream, ensuring it is fully incorporated after each addition before adding more, then season to taste.  Reserve in a container in the fridge.

Confit Shallots

• 250g grapeseed oil
• 500g shallots, brunoised
• salt to taste

Heat a spoonful of the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat, add the shallots and sweat without colour, seasoning with salt. Once they have softened add the remaining oil to cover.   Cover the pan with a cartouche and cook over a low heat for 45 minutes – 1 hour, stirring regularly, until the shallots are completely soft.  Check the seasoning.

Vegetable Nage

• 200g carrots cut into 4-cm dice
• 200g onions cut into 4-cm dice
• 200g celery cut into 4-cm dice
• 200g leeks cut into 4-cm dice
• cold water to cover
• 1g black peppercorns
• 3g fennel seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 200g white wine
• 1 slice of lemon 2 cm thick
• 10g sprigs parsley
• 10g sprigs chervil

Put all the vegetables into a large saucepan and place over a medium heat.  Cover with cold water and bring to the boil, then add the aromatics and white wine and simmer for 20 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon slice and fine herbs and leave to infuse in the fridge for 24 hours.  Pass the stock through  a chinois into a container and reserve until required.

Grouse Sauce

• 1.5kg grouse bones and legs, chopped
• 1.5kg duck bones, chopped
• 100g butter
• 150g shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 10g white peppercorns
• 750g Madeira
• 750g port
• 2kg veal/lamb stock 
• 2 kg chicken stock
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt, to taste

Heat the oven to 180°C (fan). Heat an oven tray with a dash of grapeseed oil. Add the grouse bones and legs and duck bones, lightly season and cook until browned all over.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the shallots and garlic, lightly season and cook until browned. Add the roasted bones and peppercorns, then pour in the Madeira and reduce it by three quarters. Add the port and reduce it to about 100 ml. Add both stocks and the aromatics and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, continuously skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface. Pass the liquid through a fine chinois, then through a muslin cloth into a container over ice.

Beurre Noisette

• 250g unsalted butter, cut into 1-cm dice 
• salt, to taste. 

Place a medium saucepan over a high heat, add the diced butter and allow it to brown until there is a nutty aroma (be careful not to let it burn). Quickly remove the pan from the heat. Pass the beurre noisette through a fine chinois, season to taste and reserve.