Classic sauce chasseur, or hunter’s sauce, is a French brown sauce made with sautéed mushrooms and shallots, a reduction of white wine, demi-glace or rich brown stock, a little tomato and fresh tarragon and parsley, finished with butter. It takes about 30 minutes and makes about 1 1/2 cups, enough for 4 servings of chicken, steak or pork.
“Chasseur” means hunter in French: the sauce was originally served with game, and mushrooms gathered in the woods are its main flavour. Today it is best known in chicken chasseur and with pan-fried steaks and chops.
What Makes a Sauce Chasseur
Chasseur is a derivative of the brown sauce family (espagnole and demi-glace). Four things define it: mushrooms browned in butter, shallots, white wine reduced hard, and tarragon. Tomato, either a spoon of paste or chopped fresh tomato, adds colour and a little acidity. If you do not have demi-glace, a good beef or chicken stock reduced and thickened with a little cornstarch or a butter-and-flour roux works well at home.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons cold butter to finish
- 8 ounces (225 g) button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons brandy or cognac (optional)
- 1 cup (240 ml) demi-glace, or 2 cups beef stock reduced to 1 cup
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste, or 1 small ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (only if using stock)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Brown the mushrooms. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in one layer and cook without stirring for 3 minutes, then stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes more until golden and their liquid has evaporated.
- Add the shallots. Lower the heat, add the shallots and cook 2 minutes until soft.
- Deglaze. Add the brandy, if using, and let it bubble off, then add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
- Add the base. Stir in the demi-glace (or reduced stock) and tomato and simmer 5 minutes. If using stock, stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer 1 minute until the sauce coats a spoon.
- Finish. Off the heat, swirl in the 2 tablespoons of cold butter, then the tarragon and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook and Prep Times
- Prep: 10 minutes
- Cook: 20 minutes
- Makes about 1 1/2 cups (serves 4)
Using It for Chicken Chasseur
Brown 4 seasoned chicken thighs or breasts in the pan first and set them aside. Make the sauce in the same pan (the browned bits add flavour), then return the chicken, cover and simmer gently until the thickest part reaches 165°F, about 20 minutes for bone-in thighs and 12 to 15 minutes for boneless breasts. Finish with the butter and herbs. For steak, cook the steaks to your liking, rest them, and make the sauce in the pan while they rest.
Storage
The sauce keeps, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days and freezes for up to 3 months without the final butter and herbs. Reheat gently and finish with butter and fresh tarragon just before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use wild mushrooms? Yes, and they are traditional. Chanterelles, porcini or a mix with cremini all work.
- Can I leave out the tarragon? You can use parsley alone, but tarragon’s anise note is what makes it taste like chasseur.
- Chasseur or bordelaise? Bordelaise is made with red wine, shallots and bone marrow; chasseur uses white wine, mushrooms and tarragon.
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