Brown Sauce

Ingredients

• 30g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• 35g plain flour
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 600ml beef stock, warmed
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Add the onion, carrot and celery, then cook for 8-10 minutes until softened and lightly browned.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the roux turns a light brown colour.
4. Add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute to deepen the flavour.
5. Gradually whisk in the warm beef stock, making sure there are no lumps.
6. Add the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf and thyme.
7. Simmer gently for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is glossy and reduced to your preferred thickness.
8. Strain through a sieve, pressing the vegetables to extract flavour.
9. Season with salt and black pepper before serving.

Serving suggestions

• Serve with roast beef, steak, sausages, mashed potatoes or meat pies.
• Use as a base for mushroom sauce by adding sautéed mushrooms before serving.

Storage & reheating

Cool completely and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan until piping hot. Freeze for up to 2 months in small portions and defrost overnight in the fridge.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is not yet available for this recipe. Values vary with portion size and exact ingredients — we will add verified figures here soon.

Frequently asked questions