The Right Sauce

Kitchen Musings from a French Chef

by

Food+Drink

I’ve always been intrigued by words and their suggestions of multiple layers of meaning. Consider the word “sauce.” If you’re from the south of the states, this might mean gravy; perhaps a sawmill gravy with chunks of sausage suspended in its floury creaminess, or perhaps a red-eyed gravy flavored with country ham. Or it could be a chocolate gravy that goes on top of biscuits or cornbread.

If you’re from the south of France, a sauce is likely to be tomato-based, perhaps the broth in which a good bouillabaisse is floating, with its garlicky rouille meant to be spread on crusts of bread and dipped in the rich soup. Or if you’re from Normandy, it’s likely to be a cream-based sauce, perhaps infused with apple brandy from the many orchards which surround the pastures where cows are raised in great numbers.

If you’re of a literary bent, you might think of the word “saucy” to describe people who are impertinent, cheeky, or playfully bold, who—much like a flavorful sauce—add zest to a setting or a conversation. A saucy person is—at the core—full of spirited impudence. Wouldn’t we all love to be like that?

The initial four foundational sauces, as currently interpreted in the modern world of cuisine, were established by Marie-Antoine (also known as Antonin) Carême, who lived from 1784-1833. Famous for elevating cooking to an art form through elaborate architectural desserts, he also came up with a codification of sauces, and is credited with perfecting the soufflé. Carême is considered the father of French haute cuisine, also known as the “Chef of Kings and King of Chefs.” He was, by the way, the first of his trade credited with transforming the chef’s status into that of a celebrity. 

Georges Auguste Escoffier, born a dozen years after the death of Carême (1846–1935), has also been touted as the “Chef of Kings and King of Chefs.” Escoffier modernized Carême’s ideas, introduced the brigade system to professional kitchens, and added a fifth sauce (Hollandaise) to the mother collection. He also gave us Le Guide Culinaire, published in 1903, and considered one of the major references in the kitchen of trained chefs.

Sign up for our FREE monthly newsletter
Marketing by

So what does all this have to do with us, you may ask? 

Have you ever had macaroni and cheese? Eggs Benedict? A tomato-based spaghetti sauce? 

The four foundational “mother sauces,” or “les grandes sauces,” are Béchamel, Velouté, Espagnole, and Tomate, with Hollandaise later added, to form the classic five. From these essentials have been born the “daughter sauces,” or “les petites sauces,” such as Poivrade, Suprême, Mornay, Bearnaise, Bercy, Ravigote, Nantua …

Are you ready to add the five sauces to your repertoire? Here’s what to do:

Sauce Béchamel

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 ounces unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 1 quart whole milk

PREPARATION:

Gently warm milk, while melting butter in another saucepan. Whisk flour into butter, then whisk the milk into the flour-butter mixture, stirring rapidly until smooth.

Stir in grated cheese to form a Mornay, or pour as is over macaroni for mac ‘n’ cheese, top off a ham and cheese sandwich for a Croque Monsieur, or garnish a pan of lasagna for an extra-golden finish in the oven.

Sauce Velouté 

INGREDIENTS:

For the roux

  • 2 ounces butter
  • 2 ounces flour
  • 1 quart white stock

For the mirepoix

  • 1 ounce celery, small dice
  • 1 ounce parsnip, small dice
  • 1 ounce yellow onion, small dice

For the sachet

  • ½ bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon peppercorns
  • 2 parsley stems

At the last minute

  • Kosher salt to taste
  • White pepper to taste (optional)

PREPARATION: 

As for the previous sauce, start by melting butter, while bringing your stock (this can be chicken, vegetable, veal, or fish stock) to a boil. Stir in the flour, then whisk in the stock. Stir in the mirepoix (diced to 1/16 inch) and the sachet of spices (use cheesecloth and kitchen string to create the sachet). Reduce heat and simmer very slowly, up to an hour, stirring occasionally. Season to taste, strain if needed, and serve over chicken, fish, or other seafood. You may thin a bit with cream or white wine if you like.

Sauce Espagnole

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 ounces brown roux (butter and flour, stirred till dark in color)
  • 3 quarts brown stock (beef, or other roasted bones)
  • 1 quart additional brown stock, to use as needed
  • 1 pound coarse-chopped tomato
  • 1 pound classic mirepoix (celery, onions, carrots, finely chopped to 1/16 inch)

PREPARATION: 

Start with the roux, stirring the butter and flour until well-browned but not burned. Meanwhile heat the stock, and whisk into the roux when ready. Throw in tomatoes and mirepoix, and simmer for up to 2 hours, adding stock as needed. Strain sauce before serving if necessary. Add red wine and shallots for a Bordelaise variation. Serve with red meats.

Sauce Tomate

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 ounces olive oil
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced 
  • 1 small white or yellow onion, diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 ounce all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 ounces tomatoes, canned or crushed
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION: 

Heat oil in a saucepan, add finely-diced carrots and onions and sweat until translucent. Add flour to form a roux, then the crushed tomatoes and stock. Add thyme and bay, and simmer until flavors have concentrated. Pass through a food mill, salt and pepper to taste, and serve with grilled fish, or on top of freshly-made pasta.

Sauce Hollandaise

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup clarified butter
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Salt, to taste

PREPARATION: 

Clarify butter by heating gently and skimming off foam, then pouring into another vessel, leaving behind any solids. Whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice, and place in a double boiler over simmering water. Gradually drizzle in the butter, constantly whisking as sauce thickens, which can take up to 15 minutes. Season, and serve on top of poached eggs or steamed vegetables.                                                      

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Susi Gott Séguret, CCP, CSW, hails from the depths of Appalachia in Madison County, North Carolina, but honed her culinary skills in France, where she resided for over 20 years, earning a diploma in Gastronomy and Taste from the Cordon Bleu and the Université de Reims. Author of several cookbooks including Appalachian Appetite, and Cooking with Truffles, Susi orchestrates multiple sensory experiences including the Seasonal School of Culinary Arts, the Asheville Truffle Experience, and the Appalachian Culinary Experience. Passionate about elements of taste and style, and how they extend from our palate into our daily lives, Susi strives to blend food, music, words and images into a tapestry for the senses. For more details, visit quintessentialtable.com.

SUBSCRIBE TO
SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING