A luxurious brown sauce enriched with truffles, ham, mushrooms, and Madeira, Sauce à la financière exemplifies the pinnacle of French garniture, marrying richness with refinement in the true 19th-century tradition of haute cuisine.
FR / EN
Sauce à la financière / Truffle-Ham Madeira Garnish Sauce
Regional Style
Parisian Haute Cuisine / Garniture Traditionnelle
Servings
Serves Four
Ingredients
- 250 ml demi-glace (or reduced sauce Espagnole)
- 1 tablespoon finely diced black truffle (fresh or preserved)
- 1 tablespoon finely diced cooked ham (unsmoked)
- 2 tablespoons mushrooms (sliced or chopped), previously sautéed
- 1–2 tablespoons Madeira or dry sherry
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper or white pepper, optional
- Optional: 10 g butter for finishing
One tablespoon is approximately 15 milliliters (ml), and a teaspoon is approximately 5 milliliters (ml).
Preparation Method
Warm the Demi-Glace
In a small saucepan, gently heat the demi-glace until it begins to simmer. Stir occasionally.
Add the Garniture
Incorporate the truffle, diced ham, and sautéed mushrooms. Let them simmer together for 5–10 minutes, allowing the flavors to marry and enrich the sauce.
Finish with Madeira and Butter
Add the Madeira wine and let it warm through, never boiling vigorously. If desired, swirl in a small knob of butter off the heat to add body and gloss. Season with salt and a touch of pepper to taste.
Strain or Serve Rustic
The traditional version leaves the garniture in the sauce. For elegant plated service, you may strain and spoon the solids separately over the dish.
Serving Suggestions & Garnishes
Served with vol-au-vents à la financière, sweetbreads, veal medallions, quenelles, or stuffed mushrooms. Often paired with puff pastry or used as a finishing sauce for petits bouchées, this sauce transforms simple proteins into gala-worthy centerpieces.
Tips, Tricks, or Variations
When fresh truffles are unavailable, preserved truffles or truffle essence can be used as an alternative. The ham must be mild and unsmoked; jambon de Paris or leftover roast ham is ideal. A spoonful of reduced stock or meat glaze deepens the sauce if the demi-glace is light.
Historical & Cultural Context
Named after the wealthy financiers of 18th-century Paris, à la financière became a descriptor for dishes that were lavishly garnished, a nod to the lavish lifestyles of the bourgeoisie and bankers. However, the sauce itself, as we know it, was codified in the early to mid-19th century, particularly in the works of Carême and Jules Gouffé, and reached its culinary pinnacle in Escoffier’s brigade system by the early 1900s.
The classic sauce à la financière embodies the union of meat and luxury, featuring earthy tones of mushrooms and ham, the depth of demi-glace, and the perfumes of Madeira and truffle. It was a cornerstone of cuisine de réception and appeared frequently in the menus of Parisian grand restaurants, railway dining cars, and banquets until the early 20th century.
It is also one of the last great classical sauces to preserve the medieval French idea of a “garnished sauce”, where the sauce is not just a background, but a dish in its own right.
