Mother Sauces - French Sauces

Mother Sauces - French Sauces

The five French mother sauces are béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato. Developed in the 19th century by French chef Auguste Escoffier, mother sauces serve as a starting point for a variety of delicious sauces used to complement countless dishes, including veggies, fish, meat, casseroles, and pastas.

 Bechamel Sauce 

◆ Ingredients

● Refined Flour - 100 gms

● Butter - 100 gms

● Milk - 1 liter

● Cloute (onion studded with bayleaf & cloves) - 25gm

◆ Method:

1. Bring the milk to boil, with the studded onion [cloute] and set aside.

2. Melt butter in a thick bottomed pan.

3. Add flour, stir, cook the roux over gentle fire without colouring, till it gets a sandy texture.

4. Pour the milk into the roux .Stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps. Simmer gently for 1/2 hr. 

5. Remove the studded onion & pass through a fine strainer. 

6. Cover with butter to prevent the formation of a skin.

Veloute Sauce

           It is a basic sauce. It is prepared from blond (light brown roux) & stock. Veloute (gets its name from the type of stock used)

e.g.: Fish Stock and blond roux - Fish Veloute

- Chicken stock and blond roux - Chicken Veloute

◆ Ingredients

Quantity 1 Litre

● Refined Flour - 100 gms

● Butter - 125 gms

● Stock (Chicken or vetal or fish) - 1 litre

● Mushroom Trimmings - 25 gms

◆ Method

1. In a thick bottomed pan prepare blond roux.

2. Add cold stock into the roux. Stir vigorously to avoid lumps. Add mushroom trimmings.

3. Simmer gently for 1/2 hr. Stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.

4. Pour through a fine strainer & cover with butter to prevent the formation of a skin.

(Fish Veloute should be cooked only for 20 mins only and wine should be added at a later stage.)

Espagnole Sauce / Brown 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. Demiglaze is a derivative of brown stock and is widely used for the preparation of brown sauce derivatives. Boquet Garni ( Parsley, thyme, majoram, basil bay leaf 1 lime rind)

◆ Quantity (1 Litre)

◆ Ingredients

● Fat / Butter - 60 gms

● Ref. flour - 60 gms

● Tomato Puree - 30 gms

● Brown Stock - 1 1/4 Liter

● Fat - 10-15 gms

● Mirepoix - Carrots roughly cut - 70gm

● For flavouring: Onions roughly chopped - 70gm

● Bacon Trimming finely chopped - 30gm

● Fresh pork rind finely chopped - 30gm

● Parsley, Celery, bay leaf - 3gm

● Mushrooms - 30gm

● Sherry - 75ml

◆ Method

1. Cut Bacon and vegetable into small pieces. 

2. Fry lightly till lightly brown in butter. Add flour and cook very slowly till golden brown.

3. Add hot stock stirring vigorously to blend well. Cook over gentle fire.

4. Add tomato pulp and bouquet garni. Simmer for 1/2 hr.

5. Strain and reheat, add sherry (optional) if liked.

6. Cover with a thin layer of butter.

Tomato Sauce

                        It is a red kitchen sauce and has some piquancy. It is served with spaghette, ravioli, eggs, fish and meat. It adds colour to the dish.

Quantity (1 Litre)

◆ Ingredients

● Flour - 70 gms

● Butter - 60gms

● Dices of Bacon Trimmings - 35gms

● Onion - 70gms

● Carrots and Turnip - 70gms

● Celery roughly chopped - 35gms

● Bayleaf - 1

● Garlic ( Crushed) - 4

● Tomato puree - 250gms

● Tomato chopped - 350gms

● Brown stock - 1.5liters

● Sugar - 10gms

● Salt - 5gms

● Thyme - 10gms

◆ Method:

1. Melt butter in a pan.

2. Add roughly chopped ,crushed garlic, add bacon and thyme.

3. Add Saute till slightly brown colour. Cook till blond roux is formed.

4. Add tomato puree and chopped tomato. Stir.

5. Add cold stock, stirring to prevent lumps, bring to a boil.

6. Add the seasonings and cook for 1 hr. 

7. Skim frequently strain and cover with butter.

(If tomato sauce is being served. Separately in a sauce boat. It should have a fairy thick consistency. Many of the sauces finished with butter, Oil is known as Monter au beurre.)

Hollandaise Sauce ( Warm Emulsion Sauce)

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

◆ Ingredients

● Butter - 770gm

● Clarified Butter - 700gm

● Egg yolks - 7

● Crushed peppercorns - 5

● Vinegar - 25ml

● Lime juice - 1

◆ Method:

1. Melt the butter in a pan and keep aside.

2. Place the crushed peppercorn and vinegar in a pan and reduce completely.

3. Add one tablespoon of water and cool.

4. Add the egg yolks and whisk.

5. Place the pan in a double boiler and whisk the egg yolks till a sabayon is formed (thickens).

6. Then gradually add the melted butter until it is blended and forms a smooth sauce. Add lemon juice.

7. Strain through a fine strainer. Correct seasonings.

8. Store at 30-37°C.If necessary.

(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 teaspoon of a sauce in a warm bowl and whisk until is thick then add remaining mixture a little at a time, whisking all the tie time. If this method does not rectify the same, then in a clean bowl add egg yolks, a few drops of hot vinegar and whisk adding the curdled Hollandaise.)

Mayonnaise Sauce (Cold emulsion sauce)

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

Basic Recipee of Mayonnaise Sauce :

◆ Ingredients

● Salad or olive oil - 900ml 

● Egg yolks - 6

● French mustard - 1/4Tsp

● Vinegar - 15-20ml

● Lemon - 1/2

● Seasonings - To taste 

● Sugar - a pinch

Method:

1.Place egg yolks, seasonings in a clean bowl and whisk well.

2. Add oil slowly, a little at a time, whisking continously until all the oil is incorporated finish the sauce by adding the juice of lemon and warm water.

3. This is done to ensure coherence of the sauce and to prevent its turning and curdling.

4. Mayonnaise is suitable for serving cold fish, meat and horsdoeurres.

Special pts to be noted:

• Do not expose Mayonnaise to too low temp after making it. Initially, the oil should not be added rapidly.

• Do not use too cold oil.

• The oil should be in proportion to egg yolks.

• Use hot water when necessary as it acts as a stabilizer.

• Cover the sauce with a lid and store in a cool place.

Rectification of a Turned or curdled Mayonnnaise.

1. By taking a clean bowl add boiling water or vinegar add gradually whisking in the curdled sauce.

2. Place an egg yolk and gradually whiskin 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 mayonnaise.