Brown sauce (meat stock based)


In classical French cuisine, a brown sauce is generally a sauce with a meat stock base, thickened by reduction and sometimes the addition of a browned roux, similar in some ways to but more involved than a gravy. The classic mother sauce example is espagnole sauce as well as its derivative demi-glace, though other varieties exist.

Scandinavia

In Danish cuisine brown sauce is a very common sauce, and refers to a sauce with a meat stock base, thickened by a roux, and sometimes colored a rich, deep brown with a product consisting of dark caramelized sugar, known as brun kulør or madkulør. It is similar to what is known in the U.S. as a brown gravy. Variations include mushroom sauce, onion sauce, and herbed brown sauce.
The Norwegian variety is made in the same way as the Danish brown sauce, usually from wheat flour. The sauce is colored by first browning the butter in the pan, before adding the wheat flour and letting it brown further. Food coloring, soy sauce, and brown cheese are sometimes added. The sauce may acquire different tastes depending on the meat served, as it is common to cook the meat for a while in the sauce before serving.
In Sweden and Finland, meatballs are usually served with a light brown, thick sauce, prepared in the same manner as sauce espagnole, but attains a lighter colour and smoother consistency due to the addition of cream. It is spiced with black pepper, and it is common to add soy sauce, blackcurrant jelly, apple sauce, onions, mustard, allspice, tomato puree or other ingredients to add flavor. It is available as ready-to-use or in dehydrated form in stores.