Sauces

What is Sauce?

  • A sauce may be defined as:

    • A flavorful liquid, usually thickened, used to season, flavor, and enhance other food.

The Functions of Sauces

  • The purpose of a sauce is multifaceted, including:

    • Enhancing the flavor of food.

    • Improving the texture of a dish.

    • Enhancing the appearance of food.

    • Adding moisture to dishes.

    • Imparting richness and aroma, making the meal more enjoyable.

The Structure of Sauces

  • Major sauces are composed of three kinds of ingredients:

    • Liquid: Serves as the body or the base of a sauce.

    • Thickening Agent: An ingredient that gives a sauce its thicker consistency.

    • Seasonings and Flavorings: These can drastically change the flavor profile of a sauce. Examples include salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar, spices, and herbs.

Liquid Bases for Sauces

  • Most sauces are built on one of the following five liquid bases:

    1. White stock

    2. Brown stock

    3. Milk

    4. Tomato plus stock

    5. Clarified butter

Thickening Agents

  • Thickening agents give sauces their desired thickness. Important points:

    • A good sauce must cling lightly to food, not be heavy or pasty.

    • It should have no lumps, and the flavor must not be floury.

Starches

  • Starches are the most common and useful thickeners for sauce-making. Common types of thickeners include:

    • Flour

    • Cornstarch

    • Arrowroot

    • Instant starches

    • Bread crumbs

    • Other vegetable and grain products such as potato starch and rice flour.

Roux

  • A roux is defined as:

    • A mixture of fat and flour cooked together, which can be cooked to various degrees to thicken sauces.

    • A good roux is defined as stiff and not runny.

How to Make a Roux

  • Basic Procedure for Making All Roux:

    1. Melt fat.

    2. Add the correct amount of flour and stir until thoroughly mixed.

    3. Cook to the required degree:

    • White roux: cooked lightly.

    • Blond roux: cooked until lightly colored.

    • Brown roux: cooked more thoroughly using low to moderate heat.

Liaison

  • A liaison is described as:

    • A mixture of one part egg yolk and three parts heavy cream. Used to enrich a sauce at the end of the cooking process.

Procedure for Using a Liaison

  1. Beat together the egg yolks and cream in a stainless-steel bowl. The usual proportion is three parts cream to one part egg yolks.

  2. Very slowly add a little of the hot liquid to the liaison, while beating constantly. This process is known as tempering.

  3. Off the heat, add the warmed, diluted liaison to the rest of the sauce, stirring constantly during the process.

  4. Return the sauce to low heat to warm it gently. Ensure it does not exceed 180°F (82°C) to prevent curdling.

  5. Hold the sauce for service above 140°F (69°C) for sanitation reasons but below 180°F (82°C).

Usage of Blood in Sauces

  • Blood is typically used for game cooking to thicken the sauce and impart a unique flavor.

Seasonings and Flavorings

  • Seasonings and flavorings include:

    • Salt

    • Pepper

    • Mustard

    • Vinegar

    • Various spices and herbs.

  • These ingredients are essential for adding the finishing touches and enhancing the flavor of the sauce.

Different Sauces

The Five Mother Sauces

  • The five mother sauces are fundamental sauces in classical French cuisine from which many other sauces are derived. They are referred to as