Espagnole

In cooking, espagnole sauce (French pronunciation: ​[ɛspaɲɔl]) is one of Auguste Escoffier's five mother sauces that are the basis of sauce-making in classic French cooking. This type of sauce were already compiled in different Spanish cooking handbooks of the late 19th century. Escoffier popularized the recipe, which is still followed today.

Espagnole has a strong taste and is rarely used directly on food. As a mother sauce it serves as the starting point for many derivatives, such as Sauce Africaine, Sauce Bigarade, Sauce Bourguignonne, sauce aux champignons, sauce charcutière, sauce chasseur, Sauce Chevreuil and demi-glace. There are hundreds of other derivatives in the classical French repertoire.

Escoffier included a recipe for a Lenten espagnole sauce, using fish stock and mushrooms, in Le Guide culinaire, but doubted its necessity.

The basic method of making espagnole is to prepare a very dark brown roux, to which veal or water is added, along with browned bones, pieces of beef, vegetables, and various seasonings. This blend is allowed to slowly reduce while being frequently skimmed. The classic recipe calls for additional veal stock to be added as the liquid gradually reduces, but today water is generally used instead. Tomato paste or pureed tomatoes are added towards the end of the process, and the sauce is further reduced.

Although espagnole is the French word for Spanish, the sauce's connection to Spanish cuisine is argued by French cooks. According to Louis Diat, the creator of vichyssoise and the author of the classic Gourmet's Basic French Cookbook:

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