A sauce is considered to be a primary liquid flavored with sautéed seasonings and ingredients. In the gourmet world, before a sauce is complete, it is usually "reduced." This helps create an evaporation effect which makes the sauce more flavorful and thicker. Sometimes sauces are strained to remove solids, and sometimes they are pureed to a smooth texture.
There are a few basic sauce types that are used to create thousands of variations. These include:
• White sauces
• Vinaigrettes
• Brown sauce
• Mayonnaise
• Hollandaise
The French have used white sauces for centuries in French cuisine with their buttery, slightly nutty flavors. They are used as the base for many French dishes. They are primarily based on the blending of butter and flour to create a "roux," and then milk or cream is added to create the white sauce. A "veloute" is a sauce made with clear stock instead of milk. The cream is added after the stock reduction. It is usually served with fish, poultry or vegetables.
Brown sauces are a bit different in that they use a reduction of beef, veal, or lamb stock to achieve the final sauce. Veal stock is the base for many brown sauces in French cuisine. The reason for this is because they have more gelatin in the neck bones which is most desirable for sauce making. The traditional way to make a red meat stock is to save all the bones from your leftovers so you can use them for your stock. You can also get them straight from the butcher, so they are fresh.
Another method you can use to create a brown-type sauce is called "deglazing." It involves adding wine to a skillet that has the drippings of steak or meat that was just sautéed. Usually, there is a lot of flavors still left behind in the pan, and a good way to use it is to make a sauce, much like that of using turkey drippings to make a gravy.
Vinaigrette sauces are low in saturated fat content and more desirable for those watching out for rich dishes which can increase cholesterol levels. These types of sauces often involve roasting various vegetables, like tomatoes, with spices and garlic in an oven for 20 or so minutes. After they are done, they are pureed and whisked with olive oil and vinegar.
Hollandaise sauce is egg-based and has a lemony tang. The basic ingredients for this sauce are egg yolks, butter, lemon juice, pepper. The method involves stirring the yolks in a double boiler and then adding butter continually stirring to create a thick texture. Hollandaise can then be made into some other sauce varieties like Bearnaise, Choron, and Chantilly sauces. Mayonnaise is similar to Hollandaise except it includes oil and mustard instead of lemon. It is made in a blender or whisked by hand the old-fashioned way.
For all types of sauces, a blender is an excellent kitchen tool and perfect when you want to create a nice smooth texture. You can make instant sauces that only take a few minutes. And some sauces like pesto are much more fun to make in a nice high-speed blender. Today, French cooking includes several hundred different sauces varieties. But all of them come from these five base sauces. So, they are great to get down for your home cooking repertoire. You can expand from there and get creative with all the potential sauce possibilities!
Hope you found this helpful!
Hugs and kisses!
There are a few basic sauce types that are used to create thousands of variations. These include:
• White sauces
• Vinaigrettes
• Brown sauce
• Mayonnaise
• Hollandaise
The French have used white sauces for centuries in French cuisine with their buttery, slightly nutty flavors. They are used as the base for many French dishes. They are primarily based on the blending of butter and flour to create a "roux," and then milk or cream is added to create the white sauce. A "veloute" is a sauce made with clear stock instead of milk. The cream is added after the stock reduction. It is usually served with fish, poultry or vegetables.
Brown sauces are a bit different in that they use a reduction of beef, veal, or lamb stock to achieve the final sauce. Veal stock is the base for many brown sauces in French cuisine. The reason for this is because they have more gelatin in the neck bones which is most desirable for sauce making. The traditional way to make a red meat stock is to save all the bones from your leftovers so you can use them for your stock. You can also get them straight from the butcher, so they are fresh.
Another method you can use to create a brown-type sauce is called "deglazing." It involves adding wine to a skillet that has the drippings of steak or meat that was just sautéed. Usually, there is a lot of flavors still left behind in the pan, and a good way to use it is to make a sauce, much like that of using turkey drippings to make a gravy.
Vinaigrette sauces are low in saturated fat content and more desirable for those watching out for rich dishes which can increase cholesterol levels. These types of sauces often involve roasting various vegetables, like tomatoes, with spices and garlic in an oven for 20 or so minutes. After they are done, they are pureed and whisked with olive oil and vinegar.
Hollandaise sauce is egg-based and has a lemony tang. The basic ingredients for this sauce are egg yolks, butter, lemon juice, pepper. The method involves stirring the yolks in a double boiler and then adding butter continually stirring to create a thick texture. Hollandaise can then be made into some other sauce varieties like Bearnaise, Choron, and Chantilly sauces. Mayonnaise is similar to Hollandaise except it includes oil and mustard instead of lemon. It is made in a blender or whisked by hand the old-fashioned way.
For all types of sauces, a blender is an excellent kitchen tool and perfect when you want to create a nice smooth texture. You can make instant sauces that only take a few minutes. And some sauces like pesto are much more fun to make in a nice high-speed blender. Today, French cooking includes several hundred different sauces varieties. But all of them come from these five base sauces. So, they are great to get down for your home cooking repertoire. You can expand from there and get creative with all the potential sauce possibilities!
Hope you found this helpful!
Hugs and kisses!
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