Recipe: Périgueux Sauce

Name: Périgueux Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 20 g (0.7 oz) truffle duxelles (finely chopped mushrooms cooked in butter); 10 g (0.4 oz) truffle peelings; 1 dl red port; 2 dl prepared veal stock; 15 g (0.5 oz) butter, cut into small cubes; freshly ground pepper

By chef patrick Asfaux 5/5 (7 reviews) · 🍳 4 made it

Prep 15 min

Cook 15 min

Total 30 min

Servings 4 serv.

Truffle peelings are the secret weapon of high-end bistro kitchens. Here we sweat them in butter with a grind of fresh pepper, then deglaze with port and veal stock. The sauce is mounted with cold butter, and the truffle duxelles go in at the very end.

Recette Périgueux Sauce - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: Aftouch-cuisine

Ingredients for 4 servings

Adjust for

servings

20 g (0.7 oz) truffle duxelles (finely chopped mushrooms cooked in butter)
10 g (0.4 oz) truffle peelings
1 dl red port
2 dl prepared veal stock
15 g (0.5 oz) butter, cut into small cubes
freshly ground pepper

Step-by-step directions

1 Sweat 10 g (0.4 oz) of truffle peelings in butter, add a good grind of fresh pepper.

2 Pour in 1 dl of port, let it reduce slightly, then add your 2 dl of veal stock. Bring to a boil and blend for 10 seconds.

3 Now mount the sauce with butter by adding small cubes of cold butter while stirring so the Périgueux sauce becomes glossy and well-emulsified.

4 Finally, stir in 20 g (0.7 oz) of truffle duxelles to your Périgueux sauce. Use Tuber Mélanosporum, the very best. This sauce is perfect for tournedos Rossini or beef fillet à la Souvaroff.

A chef's advice

The trap here is reducing the port too much. Twenty to thirty seconds is plenty, otherwise the alcohol burns and the sauce turns bitter. Keep the blending short, just 10 seconds, to preserve some texture in the peelings. And add the duxelles off the heat, or the mushrooms will fall apart. This sauce is perfect with tournedos Rossini or beef fillet. A Pauillac or Saint-Julien wine pairs beautifully with the truffle without any problem.

Frequently asked questions

Can we replace red port with another wine?

Yes, use a good dry red wine: a Côtes du Rhône or light Bordeaux. Avoid very tannic wines, they'll harden the sauce. Use the same amount (1 dl). The reduction will be simpler, without port's sweet note.

How to prevent the sauce from breaking when mounting with butter?

Butter must be cold, diced small. Add it off heat or over very low heat. Stir constantly without stopping, emulsifying. If it breaks, add a spoon of cold stock and restart. Never let the stock boil while mounting.

How long can you keep Périgueux sauce in the fridge?

Two days maximum, covered. If butter-mounted, consume within 24 hours. You can freeze the base alone (no butter or truffles) for three months, then finish the sauce to order.