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Sauce Bordelaise

Ingredients
3 Tbl butter
2 Tbl flour
1/2 medium onion
1 carrot
1-2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
5 black peppercorns
14 oz beef stock
shot of white or red wine
1 Tsp of tomato paste
1/4 Tsp dried thyme
salt
black pepper
6 oz Merlot or other dry red wine
6 oz white button mushrooms
salt
pepper
2 Tbl butter
Method
Chop the onion and carrot coarsely. Halve the garlic.

Over a medium flame, melt the butter in a saucepan. Sprinkle the flour in - gradually. Stir constantly with a whisk, until the roux turns golden-brown in color and emits a nutty aroma. Lower the flame and introduce carrot, onion, garlic, and peppercorns into the pan. Saute the vegetables until soft, about 8 minutes. Pour in the stock and wine. Whisk until the roux is perfectly incorporated into the liquids. Stir in the tomato paste. Throw in the thyme. Lower the flame to a slow simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup - approximately 45 minutes.

Skim whatever scum and detritus rise to the surface - periodically. Strain the sauce through a China Cap or a fine mesh collander into a bowl. (Do not press hard on the residue in the collander while straining the sauce. A very light pressing is what is needed.)

Clean and slice the mushrooms. In a 10 inch skillet over a medium flame, saute the mushrooms in 1 Tbl of butter until golden brown.

Place one cup of the Sauce Espagnole into a sauteuse or other sauce pan. Pour in the wine. Place the sauteed mushrooms into the sauteuse. Reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon. Check for seasoning, adjusting as necessary. Cut off heat. Whisk 2 Tbl of cold butter into the sauce.