French cuisine takes sauce v. seriously. The 5 Mother Sauces are your base recipes for almost every French dish. They are: béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato.
Hollandaise sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ tsp kosher salt
METHOD
- In a stainless steel bowl whisk egg yolks and lemon juice together vigorously for one minute.
- Place bowl on top of a pot with barely simmering water. Gradually whisk in butter and do not let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble.
- When all the butter is incorporated and the sauce has doubled in volume add salt and remove from heat and serve.
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Béchamel sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 ¼ cups milk , heated
- ½ tsp kosher salt
METHOD
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan melt the butter on low medium heat.
- Stir or whisk in flour and do not let it brown.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until raw flour is cooked.
- Add milk slowly while mixing in the pan. Add salt and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes.
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Brown Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 10oz beef broth
- pinch of dried thyme
- 2 tsp veg oil
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
METHOD
Melt butter over medium heat and shallots, cook until golden brown. Add beef broth and thyme and cook on high heat, reduce by half. Mix flour and butter into a paste and roll into small balls called beurre manié. Whisk little by little until desired thickness is reached. Season with salt and pepper and strain before serving.
Velouté Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Litre white stock
- 100g blonde roux
- kosher salt and white pepper to taste
METHOD
Melt butter over medium heat and add flour, cook out until you achieve a blonde roux. Heat stock in another vessel and when hot slowly whisk into roux. Reduce by half and season to taste
Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 1 oz salt pork
- 1oz carrots, peeled and medium diced
- 1 oz yellow onion, medium diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 oz whole butter
- 1 oz all purpose flour
- 1 lb tomatoes, mashed
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp sugar
METHOD
In a large pot on medium heat melt butter and add pork. When fat has rendered add carrots, onion, bay leaf and thyme. Add in flour and stir regularly. Once flour has been cooked out add tomatoes and veal stock. Bring to a
boil and add rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 90 minutes on low and strain before serving.