Bordelaise Style Sauce With Mushrooms - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons shallots, minced (about 1 small-to-medium shallot)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms or 2 cups button mushrooms
1 cup beef broth (homemade or low-sodium if possible)
1/3 cup hearty red wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (to taste)
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

Preparation

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, 3-5 minutes.
Add remaining butter and allow to melt. When melted, add mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms soften and begin to exude liquid, about 5 minutes.
Add beef broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until reduced by about half, 45-60 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning if needed. (A splash of soy sauce instead of salt adds another dimension and is an alternative if needed.) Remove bay leaf before serving.