Red Wine Sauce
Red Wine Sauce is a medium French recipe that serves 4. 150 calories per serving. Recipe by Philippe Etchebest on YouTube.
Prep: 5 min | Cook: 30 min | Total: 45 min
Cost: $4.69 total, $1.17 per serving
Ingredients
- 2 units Shallots (finely minced)
- 30 g Unsalted butter (for sweating the shallots)
- 1 clove Garlic (crushed)
- 1 sprig Fresh thyme
- 1 unit Bay leaf
- 250 ml Dry red wine (preferably a good quality wine)
- 1 pinch Sugar (to balance acidity)
- to taste Ground black pepper
- 200 ml Reduced beef stock (prepared in advance and well concentrated)
- 30 g Cold butter (cut into small dice for mounting)
- to taste Salt
Instructions
Prepare the aromatics
Finely mince the shallots, crush the garlic clove, prepare the thyme and bay leaf.
Time: PT5M
Sweat the shallots
Melt 30 g butter in the saucepan over medium heat, add the shallots and gently sauté without color for 3 minutes.
Time: PT3M
Temperature: Moyen
Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf
Stir in the crushed garlic, thyme and bay leaf, cook an additional 1 minute.
Time: PT1M
Temperature: Moyen
Deglaze with red wine
Pour in the dry red wine, increase heat to medium‑high and bring to a boil to evaporate the alcohol.
Time: PT5M
Temperature: Moyen‑fort
Season
Add a pinch of sugar, black pepper and adjust salt if needed.
Time: PT1M
Incorporate reduced beef stock
Pour in the reduced beef stock, lower heat to medium and simmer until a coating consistency is reached (about 10 minutes).
Time: PT10M
Temperature: Moyen
Strain the sauce
Filter the sauce through a fine sieve or chinois to remove the aromatics.
Time: PT2M
Butter mounting
Return the strained sauce to low heat, incorporate the cold butter dice one by one while whisking vigorously until the sauce becomes glossy and slightly thick.
Time: PT5M
Temperature: Douce
Finishing and serving
Adjust seasoning if needed, keep the sauce warm (no more than 60 °C) and serve immediately with your choice of meat or fish.
Time: PT2M
Temperature: 60°C
Nutrition Facts
- Calories
- 150
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Dietary info: Gluten‑free (if the beef stock has no additives), Can be adapted to a vegetarian version with vegetable stock, low-carb, low-calorie, very-low-calorie
Allergens: Lactose, Dairy product (butter)
Ingredient Substitutions
- Instead of Shallots: Small onion
- Instead of Unsalted butter: Margarine
- Instead of Garlic: Garlic powder (½ tsp)
- Instead of Fresh thyme: Dried thyme (½ tsp)
- Instead of Dry red wine: Red grape juice + balsamic vinegar (¼ tsp)
- Instead of Sugar: Honey (½ pinch)
- Instead of Reduced beef stock: Beef bouillon cube + 150 ml water
- Instead of Cold butter: Cold margarine
Equipment Needed
- Saucepan or small sauté pan
- Whisk
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Fine strainer or chinois (optional)
- Measuring spoon (optional)
Critical Steps — Do Not Skip
- Reduce the red wine to half its original volume.
- Use a well‑concentrated beef stock.
- Butter mounting with very cold butter off the heat.
Chef Tips from the Video
- Use a red wine of similar quality to the one you would serve with the final dish.
- For a more aromatic version, add an extra small shallot or a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end of cooking.
Troubleshooting
The sauce is too thin after wine reduction.
Continue cooking over medium heat until the desired coating consistency is achieved.
The sauce separates after adding butter.
Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then add the cold butter while whisking gently.
The flavor is too acidic.
Add a small extra pinch of sugar or a bit more butter to mellow.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container 2‑3 days.
Freezer: Can freeze for 1 month, reheat gently over low heat.
Room temperature: Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Make-Ahead Tips
- Prepare the reduced beef stock the day before and keep it refrigerated.
- Reheat the sauce gently over low heat, adding a splash of water if it thickens too much.
Last updated: August 20, 2026
