Sauce à la Matelote is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic meat sauce made from an Espagnole sauce base with onions, mushroom ketchup, port wine, herbs, spices and lemon juice. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Sauce à la Matelote.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
SAUCE A LA MATELOTE, for Fish.
512. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 pint of Espagnole (No. 411), 3 onions, 2 tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup, 1/2 glass of port wine, a bunch of sweet herbs, 1/2 bay-leaf, salt and pepper to taste, 1 clove, 2 berries of allspice, a little liquor in which the fish has been boiled, lemon-juice, and Anchovy Sauce.
Mode.—Slice and fry the onions of a nice brown colour, and put them into a stewpan with the Espagnole, ketchup, wine, and a little liquor in which the fish has been boiled. Add the seasoning, herbs, and spices, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring well the whole time; strain it through a fine hair sieve, put in the lemon-juice and anchovy sauce, and pour it over the fish. This sauce may be very much enriched by adding a few small quenelles, or forcemeat balls made of fish, and also glazed onions or mushrooms. These, however, should not be added to the matelote till it is dished.
Time.—10 minutes. Average cost, 1s. 6d.
Seasonable at any time.
Note.—This sauce originally took its name as being similar to that which the French sailor (matelot) employed as a relish to the fish he caught and ate. In some cases, cider and perry were substituted for the wine. The Norman matelotes were very celebrated.
Fry the onions in a little butter until nicely browned (about 10 minutes) then place in a pan with the Espagnole sauce, Port wine, ketchup and a little of the stock in which the fish was cooked. Add the seasonings, herbs and spices, bring to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pass through a fine-meshed sieve then stir in lemon juice and anchovy sauce to taste. Pour over the fish and serve. If desired, you can add fish quenelles or fish forcemeat balls as a garnish.
