Sauces

Sauces

Sauces are liquid or semi- liquid mixtures. A keen sense of smell, delicate sense of taste, a light, strong hand for the blending all contribute to a perfect sauce.
Long ago, Grimande de la Royere, philosopher and gastronomer wrote: "The sauce is to culinary art what grammar is to language."
A perfect sauce has a colorful appearance, is glowing in its rich smoothness, has a velvety texture, a definite taste and a natural flavor. It complements the food it accompanies, rather than mask its taste. It provides moisture, color and shine to food.

Importance of Sauces in Food Preparation

1. Enhance flavors.
2. Some sauces help in digestion, e.g. mint sauce, apple sauce with roast pork.
3. It gives moistness to the food, e.g. white sauce adds creaminess to firm and dry food.
4. Adds color to the food. Hollandaise sauce served on a vegetable adds color. 
5. Served as an accompaniment, the sauce sometimes gives a contrast taste to another food, e.g. cranberry sauce with roast turkey.
6. Sometimes gives the name to the dish, e.g. Madeira wine when added to the brown sauce, it is called sauce Madeira.
7. Enhances nutritional value of the dish.
8. Dresses and complements food that need some additional quality and makes the food more palatable, e.g. Chaudfroid sauce is used to coat various food items, and gives a good appearance. 
9. Gives tartness and contrasts or balances a bland food, e.g. Devil sauce served with eggs gives appealing tartness. 

Thickening agents used to thicken sauces:

 1.Roux

          It is a mixture of equal quantities of flour and butter which are cooked together till sandy texture. Roux can be white, blonde or brown. The color acquired depends upon the degree of cooking of the flour. The color of the sauce depends upon the liquid and the roux used. While preparing sauces, boiling liquid should never be added to hot roux as it may render it lumpy. A cold liquid to a hot roux or a hot liquid to an cold roux results in smooth texture.

  2. Starch

           Arrowroot, cornflour, fecule (potato-starch), tapioca are used to thicken the sauce. A paste should be made of cold liquid and starch, and then stirred into boiling liquid and allowed to boil, till the starch is cooked. It gelatinises at 93°C (200°F). Starch contains no gluten and gives a clear sauce and thickens more as it cools.

3. Manie butter (French: Beurre Maine)

           

            Chiefly used for the fish sauces. Equal quantities of flour and butter are kneaded and very little quantity is added at a time to the boiling liquid and stirred well to form a smooth consistency.

4. Yolks of eggs and cream (Liaison)

             It is a liaison, added as a finishing agent at the end of cooking. The product is never boiled after the addition of liaison else it would curdle. The liaison is added to thicken delicate creams or veloute sauces or cream soups. Yolk of eggs is used to prepare mayonnaise by emulsifying it with oil.

5. Blood

              It is usually used for game cooking. It thickens the sauce and gives  particular flavor, e.g. preparation of Jugged Hare.

                          Note: The serving temperature of the hot sauce is 85°C.

Basic Sauces:

1. Bechamel or white sauce: 
                     Bechamel sauce is named after Louis de Bechamel. It is prepared with white roux and milk, flavored with studded onion. The sauce goes well with lasagna (pasta).

Recipe of Bechamel Sauce

         Ingredients                                                                                        Quantity

         Flour                                                                                                      90 gm

         Butter                                                                                                     90 gm

         Milk                                                                                                       1 liter

         Onion studded with clove and bay leaf                                             1.no (25 gm)

   

Method

1. Melt the butter in a thick bottomed pan and add the flour, stir and cook over a gentle fire without coloring till it gets the sandy texture.
2. Remove from heat, let it cool.
3. Gradually add warm milk and stir continuously to avoid lump formation. Add the studded onion and allow to simmer for half an hour.
4. Remove the studded onion and pass through a fine strainer.
5. Cover with a film of butter to prevent formation of skim.

2. Veloute Sauce

                      It is a basic blond sauce. It is prepared from blond (light brown) roux and stock. Veloute gets its name from the type of stock used, e.g. fish stock and blond roux-fish veloute.

Recipe of Veloute

         Ingredients                                                                                        Quantity

          Butter                                                                                                  90 gm

          Flour                                                                                                   90 gm 

          Stock ( Fish, Chicken)                                                                        1 liter

          Mushroom trimmings                                                                         25 gm

Method

1. In a thick bottomed pan, prepare blonde roux.
2. Add cold stock to the roux, stir vigorously to avoid lumps.
3. Add mushroom trimmings.
4. Simmer gently for one hour, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
5. Pass through a fine strainer and cover with butter to prevent the formation of skin.

Note: Fish veloute should be cooked for 20 minutes only and wine should be added at later stage.

3. Brown or Espagnole Sauce
                        Brown sauce is made from brown roux and brown stock or glaze of brown stock. It is one of the most widely used basic or mother sauces. Demi- glaze is a derivative of brown stock and it is widely used for the preparation of other brown sauce derivatives. This is the perfect accompaniment for grilled or roasted red meat.




Recipe of Espagnole Sauce

          Ingredients                                                                                 Quantity
           Flour                                                                                            70 gm
           Butter                                                                                           70 gm
           Tomato puree                                                                               30 gm
           Brown stock                                                                                 1. 25 liter
           Mire poix ( carrot, celery, onion)                                                 150 gm
           Bouquet garni (bay leaf, parsley stalk, cloves)                             a bunch
           Seasonings                                                                                     for taste


Method

1. Prepare brown roux in a heavy bottomed pan & cool.
2. Add tomato puree, stir to prevent lumps.
3. Gradually mix in hot stock, stirring to prevent lumps formation.
4. Saute the mire- poix in fat and add the sauted vegetable to sauce. Add bouquet- garni.
5. Simmer gently for 4-6 hours. Skim frequently.
6. Correct the seasoning and strain through a fine strainer.
7. cover with a thin layer of butter to prevent the formation of skim.

Note: Over browning should be avoided as this tends to make the sauce taste bitter.

4. Hollandaise Sauce

                 It is a warm yellow and rich sauce. It contains a high percentage of fat and egg yolk. It is an emulsion of butter, lemon juice and egg yolk. Hollandaise is served over grilled or baked fish, vegetables and egg. It is an accompaniment to cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, salmon, trout.

Recipe of Hollandaise Sauce

             Ingredients                                                                    Quantity

              Butter                                                                             500 gm

              Egg yolk                                                                        5 no.

              Crushed peppercorns                                                      8 no.

              Vinegar                                                                           30 ml

              Lemon juice                                                                    1 no.

              Seasoning                                                                        to taste

Method 

1. Place the crushed peppercorn and vinegar in a pan and reduce to 1/3.
2. Add one table spoon cold water and allow to cool.
3. Add the egg yolks and whisk.
4. Place the pan in a double boiler and whisk the egg yolks until creamy texture.
5. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
6. Then gradually add the melted warm butter and whisk until it is blended and forms a smooth sauce.Do add a lemon juice.
7. Correct the seasoning & strain through muslin cloth.
8. Keep at warm temperature until served.

Note: If Hollandaise turns or curdles or is too thick, beat in a little hot water, a little at a time. If too thin, add a tea spoon of lemon juice to a tablespoon of the sauce in a warm bowl and whisk until it is thick. Then add the remaining mixture, a little at a time, whisking all the time. If this method does not rectify the same, then in a clean bowl and egg yolk, a few drops of hot vinegar and whisk while adding the curdled Hollandaise.

5. Tomato Sauce

                   Is is s red kitchen sauce, made from tomatoes  and has some piquancy. It is served with ravioli or spaghetti, eggs, fish and meat. It adds color to the dish.

Recipe of Tomato Sauce

           Ingredients                                                                                          Quantity
           Flour                                                                                                      70 gm
           Butter                                                                                                     70 gm
           Chopped tomatoes                                                                                 50 gm
           Tomato puree                                                                                         100 gm
           Stock (white)                                                                                          450 ml
           Crushed garlic                                                                                        1 no.
           Mire-poix (onion, turnip, carrot)                                                           100 gm
           Bouquet garni                                                                                         a bunch  
           Seasoning                                                                                               to taste


Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan, add the roughly chopped vegetables, crushed garlic and saute till slightly brown.
2. Mix in the flour and cook till it gets a sandy texture and becomes slightly brown color.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree and stir.
4. Add cold stock, stirring to prevent lumps and bring to boil.
5. Add the seasoning and simmer for one & half hour.
6. Skim frequently. Strain through fine strainer and cover with butter.

Note: If the tomato sauce is being served separately in a sauce boat, it should have a fairly thick consistency. Many of the sauces finished with butter oil are known as Monter au beurre.


6. Mayonnaise
                   Mayonnaise is a basic cold sauce. It is used as a salad dressing and as an accompaniment. It has a wide variety of uses, particularly in appetizers and salads. It is rich sauce as it is thickened with egg yolk and has a high percentage of fat. Sometimes it is thicken with gelatine and is used as a shiny flavorful coating to decorate cold dishes or buffets.


Recipe of Mayonnaise Sauce

                Ingredients                                                                      Quantity
                Olive oil                                                                           1 liter
                Egg yolk                                                                            8 no.
                French Mustard                                                     1/2 table spoon
                Vinegar                                                                              25 ml
                Lemon                                                                               1 no
                Seasonings                                                                         to taste

Methods

1. Place egg yolk, little vinegar, mustard powder and seasonings in a clean bowl and whisk well.
2. Add oil slowly, a little at a time, whisking continuously till all the oil is incorporated.
3. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a couple drops of vinegar.
4. Finish the sauce by wadding the juice of lemon and warm water. This is done to ensure coherence of the sauce and to prevent its turning or curdling.

Special points to be noted:

1. Do not expose mayonnaise to too low temperature after making it.
2. Initially, the oil should not be added rapidly.
3. Do not use congealed or too cold an oil.
4. The oil should be in proportion to the egg yolk.
5. Use hot water when necessary as it acts as a stabilizer.
6. Whisk only at a same direction. Changing it makes sauce to curdle and damage.
7. Cover the sauce with a lid and store in a cool place.

Rectification of a Turned or Curdled Mayonnaise

1. Take a clean bowl, add boiling water or vinegar and gradually whisk in curdled sauce.
2. Place an egg yolk and gradually whisk in the curdled sauce.
3. If a small quantity of mayonnaise is to be rectified, then put mustard powder in a clean bowl and add in, drop by drop, whisking the curdled mayonnaise. 

                                                                                          

Those were all about the basic sauces or also known as mother sauce. As these sauce are the base for many other derivative sauces. Like, derivatives of Bechamel sauce are Mornay sauce (cheese), Nantua sauce (crayfish, butter and cream). Derivatives of Veloute sauce are Allemande sauce  (by adding a few drops of lemon juice, egg yolks and cream), Sauce Vin Blanc (by adding cuisson and heavy cream to fish veloute). Derivatives of Espagnole sauce are Demi-glaze, Charcutiere Sauce. Derivatives of Hollandaise sauce are Sauce Bearnaise, Sauce Bavaroise (with added cream, horseradish, and thyme). Derivatives of Tomato sauce are Barbecue sauce, Provencale sauce. Derivative of Mayonnaise sauce are Thousand Island, Tartare Sauce. There can be made thousands of derivatives from six mother sauces with extra additional ingredients in them. Sauces are good to eat and easy to prepare.So hope this blog will be helpful to you all. Stay tuned for further blogs.

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