The WORLD-FAMOUS Chef Tell once said, “Each meal is an event that happens only once.” Proper sauces and gravies are instruments to orchestrate the true melody of the meal. As melodramatic as this may sound, it is a fundamental truth that has survived changing tastes and food fads for centuries.
Sauces and gravies are unequivocally the heart and soul of memorable meals. Fortunately, there is nothing mysterious about the preparation. Let us start with the reasons we need them in the first place. Simply put, sauces and gravies provide any cook with the “magic” to create dishes with captivating flavors and eye-dazzling textures. What more could any aspiring great home cook wish for?
As magical as it may appear, they do have limits. Rich sauces and gravies should be used sparingly. Also, sauces and gravies are not foolproof remedies to erase cooking mistakes. The best fall short when used to disguise a poorly flavored or improperly prepared dish. Sauces and gravies can stretch food budgets, adding appetite appeal to leftovers and savoir fare to economical dishes. So, add a new dimension to your meals with the magical world of sauces and gravies.
Here you will learn how to prepare the five Classic Mother Sauces, but before we Hit the Sauce you must first learn to make a ROUX. A roux is a classic French technique used to thicken sauces, soups, stews, and gravies. Mother sauces that include roux are bechamel, velouté and espagnole. Once you have learned how to make a roux, you will be well on your way to mastering the art of preparing great sauces and gravies.
A roux is made by cooking equal parts of fat and flour together until the mixture is smooth and the raw flour taste has been cooked out. There are three main types of roux: white, blond, and brown, each varying in color and flavor intensity. To make a roux, you combine flour and fat, usually butter in a saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the desired color is achieved. Roux is a fundamental technique that every home cook should master, and it opens up a world of delicious possibilities in the kitchen.
The five classic French mother sauces were developed by French chef Auguste Escoffier in the 19th century. These sauces are versatile and serve as a starting point for countless delicious variations that complement a wide range of dishes, from vegetables to fish to meat. The five Mother Sauces are:
- Béchamel is a white sauce prepared with milk thickened with a white roux and sometimes seasoned with a dash of nutmeg and cayenne pepper.
- Tomato sauce is prepared with fresh tomatoes and garlic, other ingredients can include carrots, onion, butter, and sometimes pork belly and veal broth.
- Velouté is a light-colored sauce: prepared by reducing clear stock (made from un-roasted bones) and thickened with a white roux. Veloutéis French for "velvety".
- Espagnole is a brown sauce prepared from a stock reduction thickened with a brown roux. Ingredients typically include roasted bones, bacon, and fresh or pureed tomatoes.
- Hollandaise Sauce is made from vinegar reduction with a slice of onion, bay leaf, and peppercorn. It is a warm emulsion of egg yolk, melted butter, and lemon juice..
IN THIS ARTICLE WE WILL FOCUS ON hollandaise. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO
NOTE: Most often a Hollandaise sauce must be prepared in a double boiler over simmering water. However, because of the heavy bottom of our new 9-Ply Ultra-Tech II paired with an induction cooktop, it can be prepared in the 9-inch gourmet skillet, or our older model 5-Ply 11-inch Wok/Saucier.
Recipe source: Healthy Meat and Potatoes cookbook pages 198-199
Recipe temperatures adapted for induction cooking.
CLASSIC HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons purified water
- 7 black peppercorns
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1 slice Florida or Vidalia sweet onion
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted.
LIGHT HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons purified water
- 7 black peppercorns
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1 slice Florida or Vidalia sweet onion
- ¼-cup Low-Sodium Chicken Stock (page 217) or packaged
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch
- 1 egg yolk
For either sauce: In the 9-inch Gourmet Skillet 9-Ply, bring vinegar, lemon juice, water, peppercorns, bay leaf, and onion to a simmer (200°F/94°C) and reduce by half. Remove from heat and allow the reduction to cool.
Five minutes before you are ready to serve, and when the skillet has cooled, remove the peppercorns, bay leaf, and onion and discard, leaving the vinegar reduction in the skillet.
To make Classic Hollandaise Sauce: Using the 9-inch gourmet skillet, add the egg yolks to the vinegar reduction and whisk until the mixture doubles in volume. Place the skillet over medium-low heat (225°F/110°C) and add the melted butter, a little at a time, whisking vigorously, until the sauce doubles in volume and becomes light and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. If your sauce is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of filtered or purified water. DO NOT add chlorinated tap water.
To make Light Hollandaise Sauce: Add the chicken stock, arrowroot or cornstarch, and egg yolk and place over medium-low heat (225°F/110°C) and whisk vigorously until the sauce increases in volume and becomes light and firm, 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve sparingly over poached eggs, broccoli, asparagus, fish chicken, or steak. Sprinkle with paprika.
CLASSIC HOLLANDAISE SAUCE PER TABLESPOON, WITH BUTTER: 87 Calories, 7.2g Fat (70% calories from fat), 3g Protein, 5 .1g Carbohydrates, 99mg Cholesterol, 9mg Sodium
LIGHT HOLLANDAISE SAUCE PER TABLESPOON: 18 Calories, 6.9g Fat (20% calories from fat), 1.5g Protein, 5 .1g Carbohydrates, 21mg Cholesterol, 18mg Sodium
Béarnaise sauce
To prepare a Bearnaise Sauce begin with a Hollandaise then flavor with a white wine reduction of shallots, tarragon, and chervil.