| Most of us don't make sauces at home | | | | can be thickened or reduced, or various |
| because we're...well, we're intimidated. | | | | ingredients can be added to it to make |
| It seems so complicated and time | | | | brown sauces, white sauces and pan |
| consuming to mix all that stuff and | | | | sauces. |
| season it and boil it and get it just | | | | Sauces from roux - Roux is a mixture of |
| right. And we don't know how. We go to a | | | | flour and fat that is combined over low |
| fancy restaurant, and the sauces are so | | | | heat. Gravy is made from roux. |
| delicate and beautiful, and they are in | | | | Sauces from emulsions - Emulsions are |
| French, and we know we could never make | | | | mixtures of liquids that don't mix. |
| something like that. Oh, yes, it's fear | | | | Mayonnaise is an example of an emulsion. |
| and our lack of knowledge that keeps us | | | | Combinations - Combination sauces are |
| from enjoying sauces on our home-cooked | | | | often made from roux and stock, as well |
| food. | | | | as other ingredients. |
| It really isn't as difficult as you | | | | Mother Sauces |
| think to make sauces, though. Once you | | | | In the 19th century, Chef Marie-Antoine |
| know about the different kinds of sauces | | | | Careme developed a system for cooking |
| and master a few basic techniques, you | | | | that relied on "mother sauces" or "grand |
| can easily make sauces at home. You can | | | | sauces". Careme is considered the father |
| even begin to invent your own sauces, | | | | of classic French cooking. His system |
| based on your personal preferences and | | | | was also used by Auguste Escoffier, |
| the things your family likes best. | | | | another famous French chef. The five |
| Sauces make your food look, taste and | | | | mother sauces provide the basis for |
| smell better. They make food more | | | | other sauces that are used in classic |
| appetizing. The difference between a Ham | | | | French cooking. |
| & Egg McMuffin and Eggs Benedict is the | | | | Espagole is a reduced brown sauce made |
| hollandaise sauce. And it is a big | | | | from cooking meat. |
| difference, isn't it? In the same way, | | | | Veloute is white stock thickened with |
| sauces can turn your plain and simple | | | | roux. |
| cooking into something special. | | | | Bechamel is milk thickened with roux. |
| Sauces add flavor to bland foods, like | | | | Hollaindaise or Mayonnaise is an |
| rice and pasta. Think Alfredo Sauce, | | | | emulsion made with butter or oil, egg |
| Marinara Sauce, Soy Sauce. Sauces also | | | | yolks and lemon juice. |
| make dry foods moister and easier to | | | | Tomato Sauce is tomato sauce. |
| eat. | | | | This all sounds very complex, but it is |
| Before refrigeration, sauces were used | | | | not. Once you know how to make a nice |
| to mask the flavor of tainted food. | | | | roux, and how to make stock, you can |
| Although it's not recommended that you | | | | make hundreds of different sauces. Once |
| serve tainted food, a good sauce can | | | | you can make the five mother sauces, |
| still mask the flavor of undesirable | | | | your sauce repertoire is practically |
| food. Kids are more likely to eat | | | | unlimited. |
| broccoli with cheese sauce than without, | | | | Here are some examples: |
| right? For those of us who are | | | | ·Cheese sauce is béchamel sauce with |
| somewhat...indifferent cooks, a good | | | | grated cheese added. |
| sauce can sometimes mask a cooking | | | | ·Gravy is a roux made from pan |
| mistake, too. Like, perhaps, rice that | | | | drippings and espagole or milk. |
| is just a tiny bit scorched. Served by | | | | ·Cream sauce for vegetables is veloute |
| candlelight and with a nice hollandaise | | | | with a few herbs tossed in. |
| sauce, no one will ever know. | | | | But you don't have to tell your family |
| Categories of Sauces | | | | and guests that it's cheese sauce or |
| There are all kinds of sauces. Ketchup | | | | whatever. Instead, you can serve them |
| is a sauce. Salsa is a sauce. | | | | "steamed broccoli with a light cheese |
| Vinaigrette dressing is a sauce. For our | | | | béchamel" or "steamed vegetables in |
| cooking purposes, though, there are four | | | | veloute sauce." |
| main categories of sauces. | | | | And the list can go on and on. Using |
| Sauces made from stock - Stock is the | | | | sauces to make your home cooked meals |
| liquid that remains after you cook | | | | look better and taste better does not |
| things in water. The water retains the | | | | have to be intimidating. You just need |
| flavor of whatever was cooked in it, and | | | | to know a few basic techniques, and you |
| is used to flavor other dishes. Stock | | | | will soon be a master sauce-maker. |