Sauce chasseur, sometimes called “hunter’s sauce”, is a simple or compound brown sauce used in French cuisine. It is typically made using demi-glace or an espagnole sauce as a base, and often includes mushrooms and shallots. It may also include tomatoes and a finishing of fines herbes. The name is derived from the French word for “hunter”, alluding to the traditional pairings with venison, rabbit, wild fowl, and other game meats. Traditionally, while returning from the hunt, the hunters would allegedly pick the mushrooms that they would subsequently use for their preparation.
Chasseur is thought to have been invented by Philippe de Mornay, who is also credited with inventing Mornay sauce, Béchamel, sauce Lyonnaise, and sauce Porto.