Mother Sauces

Espagnole Sauce 

Tomato Sauce

Hollandaise Sauce

Veloute Sauce 

Bechamel Sauce 

•Hollandaise Sauce: Hollandaise sauce, as well as other egg-thickened sauces, pose a specific safety problem. It must be kept warm for service, yet should be held no hotter than 145ºF to avoid curdling. However, because this is only slightly above the Food Danger Zone, bacteria may grow and cause a food-borne illness. Therefore, special care must taken place in order to avoid this such as ensuring all equipment is clean, never mixing old batches of sauce with a new batch of sauce, and never holding Hollandaise in aluminum—stainless-steel containers should be used instead. Additionally, a Hollandaise sauce should never be held longer than two hours. Typically, Hollandaise should be made-to-order. Further, cooling the reduction before adding the yolks may be a critical control point, as without this, the yolks will overcook. Using the freshest eggs possible is vital to a successful emulsion. Additionally, when beating the yolks over hot water, do so only until the yolks have ribboned, and no longer. When adding butter as well, insure the butter is warm yet not hot as this may overcook the eggs, and do so slowly to the standard proportion in order to avoid breaking the Hollandaise. 

•Sauce Critical Control Points (Bechamel, Veloute, Espagnole, Tomato sauces): All sauces contain three important ingredients: a liquid to create the body of the sauce, a thickening agent, and any additional seasoning and flavoring ingredients. Liquid (such as white stock, brown stock, milk, tomato stock, and clarified butter) ingredients provide  the body or base of most sauces. Thickening agents allow a sauce to be thick enough to cling lightly to the food or be nappé. For thickening agents, starches, such as roux, are the most common. Other flavoring ingredients provide a finished character to a sauce and is considered the key to the catalog of classic sauces. For all sauces basic critical control points are considered: never allow the sauce to scorch or curdle depending on the ingredients used. Use the correct level of heat, and stir regularly when making a sauce. All sauces should taste mostly of the liquid that makes up the bulk of the sauce, yet should be enhanced through seasonings and herbs—this should be done only in moderation! All sauces should be thickened (and/or reduced!) to the correct consistently! Additionally, purchasing all ingredients from approved, reputable suppliers must always be considered a critical control point, and should be taken seriously in order to provide the best quality dishes, while also keep guests safe from any food-borne illnesses. 

Methods: 

•Hollandaise Sauce: To begin, add the egg yolks and water to a stainless-steel bowl and beat well. Hold the bowl over a hot-water bath (similar to a double boiler) and continue to beat until the yolks have thickened and become creamy. Once ribboned, remove the bowl from the heat, and, using a ladle, slowly and gradually beat in warm clarified butter, drop by drop. Once the butter is added, beat in lemon juice to taste and adjust seasoning with salt and cayenne pepper. Hollandaise sauce may also be strained through a cheesecloth if necessary. Again, serve immediately and if not, hold no longer than two hours. 

•Espagnole (Brown Sauce): To begin, sauté the mirepoix in butter until well browned. Following this, add the tomato paste, mix, then add flour and stir to make a roux. Continue to cook until roux has browned. Gradually stir in brown stock, constantly stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and, if necessary, skim the surface. Add the sachet and let simmer for up to two hours, or until the sauce has reduced. 

•Bechamel Sauce: For Bechamel Sauce, heat the butter in a heavy sauce pot over low eat, and add the flour to make a white roux—slightly cool the roux. Whilst beating constantly, gradually add the roux, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, the heat must be reduced to a simmer. Stick the bay leaf to the onion with a clove, and add to sauce and allow to simmer for at least fifteen minutes, or more, if needed. Season very light with salt, and white pepper avoiding any dominating flavors. If necessary, strain the sauce through a chiniois. In class, we adjusted the Bechamel sauce procedure slightly by first, cooking the milk with the onion, bay leaf, and clove first, and later tempering the Roux into the mixture. 

•Tomato Sauce: To begin, heat a very small amount of olive oil (or blended oil if unavailable) in a saucepan and sweat the onion until softened, but not brown. Add the garlic, tomatoes and herbs, as well as salt and pepper and allow to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat, and simmer over low heat for about one to two hours, or until deduced to the desired consistency. Adjust the seasoning with salt and little sugar if needed.