Red Wine Jus
A glossy, reduced red wine sauce with shallot, thyme and beef stock. Restaurant-style steak sauce from the freezer.
makes 23 cubes, about 22p each
- Time
- 45 min5 min prep · 40 min cook
- Makes
- 23 cubes
- Cost per cubePer cube
- 22p
- Calories per cubeCalories
- 32 kcal
- A serving
- 2 cubes
- Spice
- 1 of 5
You’ll need
- 4 (120g)shallots, finely chopped
- 500mlred wine
- 2beef stock cubes
- 600mlwater, to make up the stock
- 20gtomato purée
- 15gredcurrant jelly
- 2gdried thyme and bay
- 15gcornflour
- 10mlrapeseed oil
Allergens: Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.
Use it for
Steak and chips for one · 2 cubes; Roast beef or lamb · 3 cubes; Sausages and mash · 2 cubes
Method
- Step 1: Soften the shallots in the oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the purée and thyme for 1 minute.
- Step 2: Pour in the wine and boil until reduced by two-thirds. (15 min)
- Step 3: Add the stock and redcurrant jelly and simmer until reduced by a third. (15 min)
- Step 4: Whisk in the cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water and simmer for 1 minute. Strain.
- Step 5: Cool, pour into 30ml trays and freeze.
| kcal | protein | carbs | fat | fibre | salt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per cube | 32 | 0.2g | 2.6g | 0.5g | 0.2g | 0.39g |
| Per 2 cubes | 64 | 0.4g | 5.2g | 1g | 0.4g | 0.78g |
Cook’s notes
- Straight from frozen into a small pan; finish with a small knob of butter.
- Swirl in a cube of cold butter after reheating for a glossy finish.
- Any drinkable red works; avoid anything too oaky.
Use it for
- Steak and chips for one · 2 cubes
- Roast beef or lamb · 3 cubes
- Sausages and mash · 2 cubes
Freeze, reheat and serve
- Freeze
- Cool it within two hours, freeze it in 30ml ice-cube trays, then bag and label the cubes. It keeps for 6 months.
- Use from frozen
- Straight from frozen into a small pan; finish with a small knob of butter. Never refreeze thawed cubes.
- A portion
- 2 cubes is a serving: about 64 kcal.
Red Wine Jus questions
Why reduce the wine before adding the stock?
Boiling the wine on its own drives off the harsh alcohol and concentrates its fruitiness. If you add the stock straight away, the jus can taste thin and sharp.
What can I use instead of redcurrant jelly?
Blackcurrant jelly or a teaspoon of sugar both work. The jelly is there to add a little sweetness to balance the wine.
Why strain it?
Straining removes the shallots and herbs so the jus is smooth and glossy. Press the shallots in the sieve to get every bit of flavour through.
Freezer meals that go with it
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Updated . Nutrition, costs and yields are estimates. Gluten-free assumes gluten-free stock cubes.