When was the last time you enjoyed a dish that you knew was remarkable from the moment you tasted it, and that you thought about long after the table had been cleared? Chances are, it was the subtle but defining characteristic called depth of flavor that charmed your palate.

When cooks had the luxury of time, depth of flavor was achieved by making demi-glace. Demi-glace is the foundation for preparing many sauces and gravies, and enhancing the taste of soups, stews and risottos. Technically a classic French sauce, demi-glace is not exactly saucelike. It's made by slowly simmering stock, aromatics and wine into a superconcentrated, intensely flavorful glaze. In fact, Williams-Sonoma demi-glace results from 20 hours of gentle simmering.

Our demi-glace is the modern cook's answer to depth of flavor. Just a tablespoon or two of this all-natural ingredient will add richness and savor to a variety of dishes. You can use demi-glace to make all manner of sauces for just the right finishing touch. You can stir demi-glace into soups, stews and risottos at the last minute to boost the taste. And, because our demi-glace is available in beef, chicken, veal and vegetable, you'll find a flavor to suit a wide range of dishes. It's versatile—so experiment!

When cooking with demi-glace, keep these tips in mind:

 

Season a sauce made with demi-glace just before serving. The demi-glace is so intensely flavored that further seasoning may not be necessary.

Demi-glace will boost the flavor of a finished dish when incorporated at the end of cooking. Before adding the demi-glace, dilute it with a few teaspoons of hot water until it reaches the consistency of heavy cream. This will make it easier and faster to incorporate. Add the diluted demi-glace one teaspoon at a time until you achieve the desired flavor.

Simple dishes become stellar ones with the addition of demi-glace, as you'll discover in the recipes here. Enjoy!

Williams-Sonoma Test Kitchen