How to Make Brown Stock Sauce (Classic French Style)

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 2 hours | Total: ~2 hrs 15 mins

Brown Stock Sauce is a classic base used in French and Western cuisine, made from roasted bones, herbs, and vegetables. It’s the foundation for many sauces such as demi-glace, red wine sauce, and gravy.

Ingredients

• 2 carrots, sliced diagonally
• 1 large onion, sliced
• Chicken or beef bones (roasted)
• Onion skins (for natural brown color)
• Celery stalks
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine (for sautéing)
• 1 tablespoon flour (for roux)
• Thyme, rosemary, oregano, and bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Water or broth, as needed

Instructions

1. Slice the carrots and onions. Grill or roast the chicken or beef bones until lightly browned.
2. Add the carrots and onions to the roasting pan and continue cooking until they soften and turn golden.
3. Add onion skins and celery stalks, stirring occasionally until all ingredients are evenly browned. Avoid burning.
4. Once all ingredients are browned, transfer them into a large pot.
5. Add margarine or butter, tomato paste, and enough water or broth to cover the ingredients. Stir and bring to a boil.
6. Add a small amount of roux (flour and butter mixture) to slightly thicken the sauce.
7. Season with thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper.
8. Simmer gently until the liquid reduces and becomes rich in flavor.
9. Once the sauce thickens and the aroma develops, reduce the heat.
10. Strain the sauce to remove solids and obtain a smooth texture.

Cooking Tips

• Roasting bones first is key to achieving a deep brown color and rich flavor.
• Use onion skins naturally instead of artificial coloring for authentic brown tone.
• This sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.

Author: Admin Jheijo | Published: November 2025