Béchamel
The Béchamel sauce is also reffered to as a basic white sauce. This sauce is great for making cheese based sauces. This sauce is very easy to make and is the absolute best for making a great Mac & Cheese. Here's the general idea on how to make this sauce. I will not give exact measurements so that you may adjust it to the amount you see fit.
1. In sauce pan add milk and and onion cloute
2. Allow milk and onion to simmer
3. While milk simmers. begin to make a light or blanc roux ***Important*** Remember it is easier to thin a sauce than to thicken so it is ok if you make too much roux.
4. Remove milk from the heat and remove the onion from the milk.
5. Begin to temper milk into roux wile wisking briskly.
6. Bring sauce to a boil than a simmer
7. Season with white pepper and salt to taste.
Velouté
The Velouté sauce is a white sauce using stock and is great sauce for meat. This is very easy to make. The key is when using this sauce you want to pair it with the same meat as the stock you are using.So remember beef with beef, chicken with chicken and fish with fish.
1. Make your roux
2. Slowly add your stock while whisking briskly.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Simmer
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
Espagnole
The Espagnole sauce is a brown sauce. This sauce is widely used in cajun/creole cooking.
1. Make a nice brown roux.
2. In a sauce pan brown your mirepoix with tomato sauce
3. Once mirepoix is nice and brown you will add you stock
4. Add stock to roux while whisking briskly
5. Add Sachet d'epices:* 3 or 4 parsley stems, chopped * 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves * 1 bay leaf * 1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns * 1 clove garlic, crushed * The above ingredients are placed into a 4" square of cheesecloth and tied into a sack.
6. Simmer for about 1 hour, and skim the surface if necessary.
7. Strain
Hollandaise
Hollandaise is a sauce made with an emulsion of egg yolks and fat.It is generally used with vegetables, fish and egg dishes, such as the classic Eggs Benedict.
Ingrediants
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
Salt
1. Vigorously whisk, the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl until the mixture is thickened.
2. Place the bowl over a saucepan or barely simmering water. Whisk rapidly, be careful not to let the mixture get too hot or the eggs will scramble.
3. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. ***IMPORTANT*** do not add butter to rapidly or you will ruin the sauce and have to start over.
4. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt.
5. Serve warm.
Tomato
The Tomato sauce isa great sauce to make in large volume. It freezes well and can be used on various dishes
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
1 diced onion
4 minced garlic cloves
3-ounces extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried, crushed thyme or use fresh (double up if your using fresh)
2 (28-ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes
1. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent, but not brown
2. Add the thyme cook 5 minutes
3. Add the tomatoes.
4. Bring to a boil
5. Simmer stirring occasionally
6. Salt and peper to taste
BOUQUET GARNI
The bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs usually tied together with string and mainly used to prepare soup, stock, and various stews. The bouquet is cooked with the other ingredients, but is removed prior to consumption.
Depouillage
- To skim the surface of a cooking liquid, such as a stock or sauce. Depouillage is more easily done by placing the pot off-center on the burner and skimming the impurities as they collect at one side of the pot.
Remouillage
Definition: A weak stock made by resimmering bones that have been used to make stock once already.