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