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Basic Sauce or Coulis

4 servings

Ingredients

• 125 g raw, lean veal
• raw ham (a small piece)
• shallots or onion (a little)
• 1 pcs celery
• 1 pcs parsley root
• 1 pcs yellow carrot
• 1 pcs bay leaf
• 8 pcs cloves
• 8 pcs allspice
• 8 pcs peppercorns
• 125 g butter
• flour (a little)
• bouillon, boiling (as needed)
• jus or pan drippings (as needed)
• mushrooms (as needed)
• lemon zest (a little)
• green herbs, tarragon, basil (a little)

Instructions

1. Coulis is used for rich gravies and other savory, rich sauces.
2. Use 125 grams of raw, lean veal, a small piece of raw ham, a few shallots or an onion, one celery stalk, one parsley root, one yellow carrot, one bay leaf, as well as cloves, allspice, and peppercorns (about 8 pieces of each).
3. Cut the meat and roots into cubes, coarsely crush the spices, and brown everything with 125 grams of butter over heat.
4. For white coulis, add the flour as soon as everything is light yellow, let it turn yellow, then immediately pour in boiling bouillon.
5. For brown coulis, first let the specified ingredients brown, then add the flour and stir continuously until it is also brown, then add bouillon and jus or pan drippings, mushrooms, lemon zest, green herbs, tarragon, basil, etc.
6. Let everything cook for half an hour and strain through a sieve.
7. The coulis must be quite thick, as it will be thinned when used.
8. It is the best aid for preparing all meat sauces well and quickly, and it keeps in winter for at least 2-3 weeks if stored uncovered in an airy place and reheated once.

Modernized from a treasured 19th-century German cookbook.