A hearty, tasty staple German gravy that pairs well with Jägerschnitzel and much more.
What is Jaeger sauce?
Jaeger sauce (in German, Jägersoße) is a popular German brown sauce that is most commonly paired with pork or veal schnitzel. It has many variations, but it is typically defined by the use of mushrooms and stock.
In German, Jäger means “hunter,” and Soße is “sauce.” In effect, it’s the German version of the French sauce chasseur. It’s probable that “hunter’s sauce” takes its name historically from hunters returning home, picking wild mushrooms on the way back for a sauce to accompany wild game for dinner.
This version is pretty close, I suspect, to what I’d often find at my uni’s mensa (canteen) in Bavaria on those lucky days they served Jägerschnitzel with Spätzle – a real delight. Rich, hearty, filling, and to be quite honest, I’d put this gravy on almost anything, really!
What goes in a proper Jaeger sauce?
An authentic Jaeger sauce is really hard to nail down, simply because it has so many regional variations. There’s no one single, rigid recipe, but suffice to say that it must be some sort of mushroom gravy.
Here’s what I’ve included in my Jaeger sauce recipe and optional additions to make your own to your liking:
- Mushrooms: white or brown are common, but wild mushrooms make a fantastic gravy and one could argue it’s more traditional. I find slicing each mushroom 4-5 times gives a nice thickness once they’ve shrunk down and incorporated into the sauce.
- Onion: optional, but certainly welcome. White, brown, or even shallots are excellent – just make sure to dice them quite small so they melt into the sauce.
- Stock: use chicken or beef stock, or simply bouillon cubes. Vegetable is a good substitute for vegetarian diets. Red or white wine are sometimes used to deglaze the pan, but these are optional.
- Thickener: a butter and flour roux is my favourite thickener for gravies, but you’ll find a lot of the time German households use a cornstarch slurry, which is faster but offers less depth of flavour.
- Tomato Paste: not necessary, but fairly common in a Jaeger sauce since it adds a lovely flavour and darkens the colour quite a bit.
- Heavy Cream: optional, but it does make the gravy a much lighter colour and richer in flavour. Some Jaeger sauces use cream, others do not.
- Herbs & Seasonings: at a bare minimum, use a touch of salt and pepper to taste and a little thyme. Parsley is a great addition at the end, giving the gravy some nice colour, and you can always use a couple sprigs of fresh parsley to decorate the plate. Tarragon, sage, and other herbs can be added to your liking.
- Bacon (Speck): optional, but makes the gravy even tastier. Fry it well and use the rendered fat as part of your roux (this means you can cut back on the butter).
- Worcestershire & Soy Sauce: both of these are optional, but excellent additions for more flavour. If you’re using wild mushrooms, you won’t need these.
Good pairings for Jaeger sauce
I’m quite certain that you’ll enjoy a nice Jaeger sauce with a lot of meat dishes – doesn’t even have to be schnitzel, although that’s pretty much the ideal pairing. The sauce itself is traditionally served with German schnitzel, so pork, veal, Jagdwurst, or even turkey or chicken.
When served with German schnitzel, the dish is called Jägerschnitzel. The method of preparing Jägerschnitzel differs quite a bit regionally across Germany, most notably between the old DDR (East Germany) and West Germany.
But keep in mind that a typical Austrian Wienerschnitzel should not be paired with this sauce. Don’t let me stop you, but traditionally Austrian schnitzel is simply served with a lemon wedge.
This gravy can also accompany a nice steak, roast beef, Frikadellen (meatballs), Knödel (dumplings), Spätzle, or simply with your choice of potatoes or pasta.
Tips & tricks for a tasty Jaeger sauce
There are so many ways to prepare a Jägersoße that, so long as you’ve got mushrooms and some stock, you can pretty much build it up as you like. Many versions have no thickener at all, so if you don’t mind a runny sauce you could even forego making a roux or thickening with cornstarch.
If you do want a thick gravy-like sauce, go with a typical flour and butter roux. Build your roux as your onions soften up; it doesn’t need to be perfect, but it’s my go-to thickener. Cornstarch will loosen up if you simmer for too long, so a simple roux is a sure-fire way to get the consistency you want if you do have to simmer it a little longer.
What I’d say is that you should adjust the seasonings to your taste. Thyme just works wonderfully, but I’m certain tarragon or sage could really kick it up a notch (obligatory BAM!).
For garnish, I really think you should go with the chopped parsley tossed in at the end. Save a little to decorate the top of your schnitzel if you like, and use a couple fresh sprigs of parsley to decorate the plate. It adds a nice flavour and variety of colour to the gravy.
Description
Accompany your German schnitzel with one of Germany's most famous sauces. Jaegersauce is built on a deep brown broth and mushrooms, and this full recipe includes savoury additions such as onions, tomato paste, thyme, and heavy cream to round it all out. Feel free to adjust the ingredients to your liking - this recipe is very versatile!
Ingredients
Instructions
Mise en Place
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Slice mushrooms and dice onion finely and set aside. Dissolve bouillon cube in 400mL warm water. Chop all parsley finely and set aside. Optionally, keep a few leafy sprigs of parsley for garnish later.
Making the Sauce
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Melt 1 tbsp butter in a medium/large pot and add all mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until nicely browned and most water has evaporated. Remove and set aside.
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Melt 2 tbsp butter in the same pot and add onions. Cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until softened. Add 1 tbsp tomato paste and stir, then add 2 tbsp flour and stir for about 2 minutes.
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Gradually pour in stock a little at a time, continuously stirring. Add heavy cream, and continue stirring occasionally. Add cooked mushrooms. Simmer, if necessary, until desired consistency is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste, add thyme and other seasonings (optional).
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Add chopped parsley and stir, then reduce heat to lowest setting until ready to serve. Garnish with additional parsley (optional) on top of sauce.
Note
- Storage: keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat on the hob and add a splash or two of water to loosen up. Can be frozen, but avoid using cream in the recipe otherwise the sauce can split when thawed.
- Variations: this recipe is extremely versatile. So long as you use mushrooms and stock, you can more or less adjust all other ingredients to your liking.
- Yield: this recipe should give you about half a litre of sauce once it's simmered a little, which is plenty enough for 4 generous servings or more.
