Sauce Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small carrot, chopped
½ small onion, chopped
½ leek, thinly sliced, white part only
1 small shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ teaspoons crushed mixed peppercorns (black, green, and/or pink)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
½ bay leaf
2 tablespoons cognac, optional
2 tablespoons red wine, optional
1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups low-sodium, store-bought beef stock or broth
Procedure:
■ Heat the oil in a small, heavy-bottomed sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, leeks, shallots, garlic and peppercorns, and saute" until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and cook for 30 seconds.
■ Pour in the cognac and red wine, if using. Bring to a boil and continue to boil until almost completely reduced, about 3 minutes.
■ Pour in the vinegar and stock, raise heat to high, bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer until reduced to one-third, about 20 minutes.
■ Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Discard the solids.
Recipe Type: Authentic
Recipe Author: Chef Walter Scheib, Former White House Chef
Chef's Background: Former White House Chef
Recipe Source: http://www.theamericanchef.com/PDFs/wsg_article.pdf