Culinary Fundamentals - CH. 10

Sauce Béchamel

One of the five mother sauces; a white sauce made from milk or cream flavored with aromatics and thickened with white roux.

What is the ratio for making 1 quart of Sauce Béchamel?

1 oz clarified butter, 0.5 oz onions, 1.25 qt milk, 4 oz white roux (2.4 oz flour and 1.6 oz fat), salt, white pepper, nutmeg, bay leaf, and clove.

What are the basic aromatics of Sauce Béchamel?

Onion, bay leaf, and clove; finished with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.

What is the method for preparing Sauce Béchamel?

Sweat onions in clarified butter; add milk and aromatics; warm to 175°F; whisk in cool roux; bring to a boil, then simmer about 30 minutes, stirring and skimming; season, strain, and adjust.

At what temperature is the cool roux added to Béchamel?

175°F (80°C).

How long should Béchamel simmer after boiling?

Approximately 30 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently and skimming as necessary.

What equipment and techniques help prevent Béchamel from scorching or discoloring?

Use a heavy-gauge, nonreactive stainless steel pot; whisk only enough to incorporate roux; stir frequently with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. A double boiler may also be used.

What are the key characteristics of a properly prepared Béchamel?

Hot; white to pale cream color; medium nappé consistency; warm, milky aroma with clove and bay leaf; mild, neutral, milky flavor with subtle spices.

Sauce Mornay

A derivative of Béchamel made by adding Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses.

What are two other derivatives of Béchamel besides Mornay?

Sauce Raifort (grated horseradish) and Sauce Soubise (stewed sliced onions, slowly cooked and passed through a sieve).

What are common culinary uses for Béchamel?

Base for croquettes, white pizza, lasagna, and moussaka.

Gratin

A preparation finished in the oven until its surface develops a golden-brown crust; Unit 10's example is cauliflower topped with Sauce Mornay.

How is cauliflower au gratin prepared?

Top blanched cauliflower with Sauce Mornay and bake until the surface is golden brown (gratiné).

Anthoxanthins

Pale yellow pigments found in white vegetables such as potatoes, onions, and cauliflower.

How do acidic and alkaline conditions affect anthoxanthins?

Acidic conditions help preserve the white color of cauliflower; alkaline conditions cause it to turn pinkish brown.

Why is acid used in preparing and cooking white vegetables?

To preserve their pale color and help prevent browning, particularly in vegetables containing phenolic compounds.

Phenolic compounds

Substances found in vegetables such as salsify, artichokes, sunchokes, cardoons, burdock, and mushrooms; exposed cut surfaces can rapidly turn brown as phenolics react with oxygen.

What happens when phenolic compounds react with oxygen?

They form colored complexes that cause cut vegetable surfaces to brown rapidly.

Why can raw vegetables containing phenolic compounds taste astringent?

Phenolic compounds react with proteins in saliva, producing an astringent sensation.

What steps help prevent browning in white vegetables containing phenolic compounds?

Submerge peeled or cut vegetables in an acidic medium, cook them immediately, or use a blanc for cooking and holding.

Blanc

A classic French preparation for cooking white vegetables in water acidulated with lemon juice and thickened with flour; helps preserve their pale appearance.

What is the Unit 10 recipe for 1 gallon of blanc?

1 gallon water, 2 oz flour, 1 lb onion, 4 cloves, 2 bouquet garnis, 4 tsp salt, and 4 fl oz lemon juice. Combine, simmer, and strain before using.

What is the recommended lemon juice ratio for white vegetable cookery?

4 fl oz lemon juice per gallon of water.

Which vegetables can be cooked using a blanc?

Artichokes, salsify, celeriac, and other white vegetables susceptible to discoloration.

What is a standard bouquet garni according to Unit 10?

1 thyme sprig, 3–4 parsley stems, 1 bay leaf, and 2–3 leek leaves or 1 celery stalk. Optional: carrot and parsnip bâtonnets.

Polyphenol oxidase

A plant enzyme responsible for enzymatic browning. When plant cells are damaged, it oxidizes phenolic compounds in the presence of oxygen, producing brown pigments.

Enzymatic browning

Discoloration that occurs when damaged plant cells expose phenolic compounds to browning enzymes and oxygen, producing colored molecules that combine into brown pigments.

What three components are necessary for enzymatic browning?

Phenolic compounds, plant browning enzymes, and oxygen.

What are examples of enzymatic browning in fruits and vegetables?

Apples, bananas, mushrooms, and potatoes turning brown, red, or gray after being cut or bruised.

How can enzymatic browning be controlled?

Apply lemon juice or another acid, refrigerate below approximately 40°F, immerse cut produce in cold water to limit oxygen, or cook at boiling temperatures to destroy browning enzymes.

Why does lemon juice prevent enzymatic browning?

Browning enzymes work very slowly in acidic conditions. Lemon juice lowers pH and slows their activity.

How does ascorbic acid (vitamin C) affect enzymatic browning?

It acts as an antioxidant that inhibits browning and delays discoloration in cut fruits and vegetables.

Why does immersing cut vegetables in cold water reduce browning?

Water limits the availability of oxygen needed for enzymatic browning.

How does temperature affect enzymatic browning?

Cold temperatures below approximately 40°F slow browning enzymes, while boiling temperatures destroy them and stop enzymatic browning.

How does pH in cooking affect plant cellulose?

Acidic conditions toughen plant cell walls and slow softening, while alkaline conditions accelerate breakdown and softening, potentially making vegetables mushy.