Sauce Allemande

Ingredients

• 1 cup Mushrooms (stems and trimmings) (Used for making mushroom essence. You can use whole chopped mushrooms if trimmings are unavailable.)
• 0.5 cup Water (for mushroom essence)
• 3 tbsp Unsalted butter (Approx 45g)
• 3 tbsp All-purpose flour (Approx 25g)
• 2 cups White stock (chicken or veal) or water (1 pint in original text)
• 4 large Egg yolks
• 1.5 tbsp Lemon juice (Juice of half a lemon)
• 12 grates Whole nutmeg (Approx 1/8 tsp ground)
• 2 tbsp Heavy cream (Optional but recommended)

Instructions

1. 1Place the mushroom trimmings and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer and stew gently to extract the flavor. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to extract all juices. Discard solids and reserve the liquid essence.
2. 2In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes without browning (making a white roux). Gradually whisk in the stock (or water) until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. 3Place the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl or basin and beat them well. While whisking constantly, slowly pour the hot butter sauce into the yolks. Do this gradually to prevent the eggs from curdling.
4. 4Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (bain-marie) or return the mixture to a clean saucepan set over very low heat. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens to a custard-like consistency. Do not let it boil, or it will curdle.
5. 5Stir in the prepared mushroom essence, lemon juice, and grated nutmeg. Add the cream if using. Taste and adjust seasoning. Finally, pass the sauce through a fine sieve into a serving jug or bain-marie to ensure it is perfectly smooth and free of lumps.