Five basic sauces

(according to Escoffier)

Auguste Escoffier, the “granddaddy” of French cuisine, classified all French sauces into five categories:
béchamel (milk thickened with starch), espagnole (brown veal stock), velouté (a thickened white
stock), hollandaise (an egg-yolk-and-butterfat emulsion), and tomate (tomato-based).

His idea was that by learning how to properly make these five sauces, you would have the basics to
make hundreds of derivative sauces. For instance, sauce mornay is a béchamel with the addition of
cheese. Sauce bordelaise is espagnole sauce with reduced wine and bone marrow. Béarnaise is
Hollandaise made with reduced white wine, shallots, and tarragon. And so on.

Roux is the thickening agent used in three of the five French mother sauces: Espagnole, Bechamel and
Veloute. The roux is cooked for a different amount of time for each sauce to vary the color. Roux is
made from equal parts fat and flour by weight, traditionally calling for clarified butter as the fat in
French cuisine. The fat is heated until it is a frothy liquid, then the flour is stirred in to create a thick
paste. A white roux is used for Bechamel sauce, and this variation requires the shortest cooking time.
As roux is cooked for longer periods of time, it goes from white to gold to brown. When using brown
roux in a dark sauce, cook the paste slowly over low heat so it doesn’t burn. Remember when waiting
for your roux to brown that it might take longer to make your sauce, so plan your meal accordingly.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

Probably the most well-known of the mother sauces, it’s a household name in restaurants, where it’s
served with Eggs Benedict – an American creation that’s known for its rich, creamy, calorie-loaded
character.

Eggs, butter, and lemon form the basis for this versatile sauce that goes beyond the breakfast and
brunch table. It’s been poured over grilled and steamed vegetables like asparagus, artichokes, and
broccoli, and kept as a side dipping sauce for a range of dishes.

One of the most popular variations is Bearnaise – one of the sister sauces that also includes Sauce
Mousseline, Sauce Noisette, Sauce Dijon, and Sauce Maltaise.

Hollandaise is a delicious, rich addition to many dishes, but it can be finicky to prepare. Temperature
and technique play big roles in the making of a smooth, creamy Hollandaise, so it’s not very common
in everyday cooking.

½ fl oz white vinegar
½ fl oz water
2 egg yolks
12 oz clarified butter (heated to 125 degrees Fahrenheit)
Lemon juice to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste.

Combine yolks, water and vinegar.

Cook quickly over a double boiler until yolks are lighter in color and a ribbon consistency, then remove
from heat.
Heat clarified butter to 125F.
Slowly add butter to yolks, whisking constantly. Add a few drops of lemon juice is sauce seems to
thick.
Season to taste with salt, cayenne and lemon juice.
Hot hold at 125F for 1.5 hours maximum.
BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

The white sauce of the family, béchamel is a flavor overload that begins with flour, butter, and milk…
the seasoning is up to the individual chef.

The French usually keep it very simple – a little salt and pepper – while the Italian version often
includes a little nutmeg. Many chefs will steep the milk with a bay leaf and a whole onion that’s been
studded with a couple of cloves, giving the milk a rich flavor before it’s combined with the roux.

However you choose to flavor béchamel, it will be the basis for nearly every butter or cream-based
sauce you’re preparing. Even a simple mac ’n cheese begins with this base!

While Chef Escoffier didn’t invent this recipe, his interpretation of this mother sauce is considered the
culinary authority.

2 fl oz butter, clarified
2 oz flour
1 ¼ qt milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Onion Pique Ingredients:

¼ yellow onion
1 whole clove
1 bay leaf

1. Put butter in medium sauce pan and cook on medium heat. Add in flour all at once and whisk
constantly until it turn a golden brown in color. Once roux is completed, remove from burner and let
cool.
2. Heat milk to boil with onion pique.
3. Slowly add to the roux, whisking constantly. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes, skimming occasionally.
4. Strain through a chinois, season to taste and adjust consistency to liking.
5. Serve cooled or hot depending on recipe and preference. Melted butter may be added to the top of
the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.

An onion pique (oignon piqué in French) is a traditional French culinary technique where a chef attaches one or
more bay leaves to an onion by pushing whole cloves through the leaves into the onion (like thumb tacks).

Onion piques are traditionally used in bechamel sauce, although you sometimes find them in other very traditional
French recipes.

Attaching the bay leaf to the onion with the cloves makes it easier to take all three of them out of your dish once
they’ve been infused and are no longer needed. Other than that, there’s no culinary reason why you couldn’t just
throw all three ingredients into the pot separately.
VELOUTÉ SAUCE

This silky, blonde mother sauce shares some common traits with béchamel, but instead of adding milk
to the roux, a clear stock is added. The velouté sauce has a pale blonde color because the bones aren’t
roasted before creating the stock.

Any bones can be used – fish, veal, beef, poultry – as a stock base for velouté, just as long as they
aren’t roasted, as this darkens the stock and changes the flavor profile.

Once you have the base, a variety of ingredients can be added…wine, cream, flavored juices. The only
limit is your imagination with this versatile sauce.
A good brown sauce helps bring out the flavor in meat.A good brown sauce helps bring out the flavor
in meat.

2 cups white stock

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper to taste

First, create the roux. In a small saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat until it is frothy. Add the
flour and continue to stir with a wooden spoon or whisk until the roux turns a pale golden color.

Keep in mind that if you’re looking for a traditional blonde Velouté you shouldn’t overcook the roux. It
will continue to darken and the flavor will change, as well.

Whisk in the stock in ½-cup increments until the mixture is smooth. Then, add the desired amount of
salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Common daughter sauces derived from Velouté:

White wine sauce

Begin with a fish Velouté, add white wine, heavy cream, and lemon juice.

Sauce Allemande
This sauce is based on a veal stock Velouté with the addition of a few drops of lemon juice, cream, and
egg yolks.

Sauce Normandy
After cooking a fish stock Velouté, add mushroom and oyster liquids along with cream and egg yolks.

Sauce Ravigote
Lemon juice and white wine vinegar lend acidity to this Velouté, which can be served warm or cold.
Onions, shallots or mustard are traditionally added.

Sauce Poulette
Start with any variation of Velouté, add mushrooms, parsley, and lemon juice.

Supreme Sauce
This daughter sauce uses a chicken stock Velouté with the addition of mushroom liquor and cream.

Sauce Bercy
With a fish Velouté base, add white wine, shallots, lemon juice, and parsley.
SAUCE TOMAT / TOMATO SAUCE

Sure, we know it as ‘pasta sauce' - but a good tomato sauce base can do so much more. Traditionally
it’s seasoned with oregano and basil, onions and garlic, cayenne and coriander, and suits a range of
dish: rice, pasta, fish, poultry, pork, beef, potatoes . You get the idea.

Escoffier’s traditional ‘sauce tomate’ begins with salted pork belly, onion, bay leaves, thyme, puréed or
fresh tomatoes, roux, garlic, salt, sugar, and pepper. If that looks too ambitious – or you’re following
specific dietary restrictions – you can leave out the pork belly and the roux and make a basic tomato
sauce.

This sauce may be a little out of date, but it’s still a delicious foundation for tomato-based recipes.

2-3 oz (56-84 g) salt pork. Salt pork is a fattier part of the pig that looks similar to bacon but is never
smoked.
3 oz (84 g) carrots, peeled and medium diced
3 oz (84 g) white or yellow onion, medium diced
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 oz (56 g) whole butter
2-3 oz (56-84 g) all-purpose flour
5 lbs raw, good quality tomatoes, mashed
1 qt (1 lt) white veal stock
1 clove freshly crushed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar

Fry the pork in the butter. When the fat has melted, add the carrots, onion, bay leaf and thyme. Cook
the vegetables, stirring regularly. Add in the flour. Once it has browned, add in the tomatoes and veal
stock. Stir the ingredients together until well mixed, then bring the sauce to a boil. Add the rest of the
seasonings and the clove of crushed garlic. Place in the oven under moderate heat for 90 minutes.
Remove the sauce and pass it through a sieve. Butter the top to prevent the formation of a skin.

Daugher sauces:

Creole sauce
Spanish sauce
Calamari sauce
Hot sauce
Ketchup
Barbecue sauce
Vodka sauce
ESPAGNOLE (SPANISH) SAUCE

Believe it or not, this sauce has nothing to do with Spanish cuisine, per se. As the story goes, King
Louis XIII’s bride, Anne – a Spanish princess – had Spanish cooks who insisted on putting tomatoes in
the basic brown sauce to give it a more well-rounded flavor. The sauce was a smash hit and named
after their country.

Unlike the other mother sauces, Espagnole has very strong flavors and is usually diluted with another
sauce or broth – it’s rarely served on its own. The rich, distinct flavor comes from roasted veal bone
broth, rather than beef, setting it apart from it’s milder mother sauces.

You’ll find Espagnole sauce at the base of favorites like sauce bourguignonne, mushroom sauce,
and a creole-inspired sauce Africaine.

8 oz clarified butter
8 oz flour
5 qt brown stock
8 oz tomato puree
1 bay leaf
½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp peppercorns
8 parsley stems

Fold the bayleaf, thyme, peppercorns, and parsley into cheesecloth and tie tightly with string to make
your herb sachet.

In a deep, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat:

Heat the butter until it is frothy.

Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it becomes a thick paste. This is
your roux.
Lower the heat and let the roux cook for 5 minutes.
Using a whisk, gradually add the stock and tomato pureé, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
Bring to a boil, then immediately lower the heat to simmer.
Add the sachet of herbs and spices.
Simmer for about 1 ½ hours to reduce, skimming the surface periodically.
Remove the sachet and strain through a fine China cap lined with cheesecloth.
Season to taste.

Demi-Glace
A rich brown sauce that combines one part Espagnole sauce with one part stock and is finished with
sherry.

Chasseur (Hunter’s) Sauce

Sautéed mushrooms, shallots and white wine reduction simmered in demi-glace.

Sauce Africaine
Espagnole sauce flavored with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and herbs.

Sauce Bigarade
Most commonly used in Duck à l’Orange, Espagnole sauce is added to duck drippings and flavored
with orange and lemon juice.

Burgundy Sauce (Sauce Bourguignonne)

Espagnole sauce with red wine, shallots and bouquet garni (a bundle of herbs).

Marchand de Vin Sauce

This Classic French steak sauce includes red wine and chopped shallots simmered in a demi-glace.

Charcutière Sauce
Onions, mustard, white wine, and chopped cornichons simmered in demi-glace – this sauce is popular
in many pork recipes.

Lyonnaise Sauce
In Lyon, onions are a culinary staple. This sauce combines onions and white wine vinegar simmered in
demi-glace.

Bercy Sauce
Most often used with seafood, but also red meats, it’s reduced white wine with shallots simmered in
demi-glace.

Mushroom Sauce
Made with sautéed mushrooms, shallots and a splash of sherry, simmered in demi-glace, this sauce
delivers an umami flavor to a range of dishes.

Madeira Sauce
This demi-glace is enriched with wine from the Madeira region of Portugal.

Port Wine Sauce

Another sweet, rich addition to demi-glace, this sauce lends itself well to rich cuts of beef like prime rib
and filet mignon.