Quenelles,parfaits and roulades

QUENELLES, PARFAITS, ROULADES

 

QUENELLES :

A dumpling made with a spice meat or fish forcemeat bound with fat and eggs ,sometimes with panada added . It is then moulded into small sausages or egg shape and post in boiling water. The most common type are veal quenelles made from a godiveauforcemeat. They are also served as an entrée with a sauce or au gratin. Small quenellesmay also be used as a garnish.

PARFAITS :

An ice desert made with double cream which gives smoothness and prevents it frommelting too quickly and enables it to be cut into slices . Originally the parfaits was acoffee flavoured ice cream ; today , the basic mixture is a flavoured custard cream, aflavoured syrup mixed with egg yolks or a fruit puree which is blended with whippedcream and then frozen . There is a special parfait mould .The shape of a cylinder withone slightly rounded end .The parfait can be served by itself or used as a base for preparing an iced cake, an iced soufflé or a vacherin .

ROULADES :

Any of the various savoury or sweet preparations which are stuffed or filled andthen rolled.A pork or veal roulade consists of a fairly thin slice of meat , spread withforcemeat and then rolled up , then usually braised .Veal roulade can also be made usinga slice from the leg or breast , slit open to form a pocket , filled with a forcemeat mixedwith a salpicon, then rolled into a galantine and poached in white stock. The term is alsoused for baked goods again sweet or savoury. For ex: A rolled sweet sponge with creamfilling or similar. A savoury roulade based on a baked cheese or vegetable mixture may be prepared as for a sweet roulade but with savoury fillings. Roulades may be served hotor cold.

 

Aspic and Gelee-Notes

                                      ASPIC AND GELEE


Definition: Aspic is a savory gelatin made from consommé or clarified stock. Because consommé is high in gelatin, it hardens when it cools, forming aspic.

Aspic can be prepared as a mold with various ingredients such as meat, vegetables or egg set into the mold. The aspic is chilled and then sliced and served.

Used in this way, aspic is an effective method for preserving foods because the gelatin seals off the oxygen, preventing the growth of bacteria that cause food spoilage.

Aspic can also be used as a glaze for appetizers and cold food platters.

Aspic is traditionally made from consommé, and this process can be time-consuming. To save time, some modern kitchens prepare aspic by fortifying water or ordinary stock with added gelatin. This technique produces an inferior product, in terms of both flavor and texture.


Gelee Definition:

Aspic jelly is called  GELEE in French. It is a flavorful gelatinous stock which

has been carefully clarified.

PLEASE NOTE – it is different from ASPIC- which is slices or dices of poultry,

meat, game, fish , seafood or fruit are molded in a clarified aspic jelly.

Any well made stock, prepared with large amount of bones will gel when chilled. At

this stage it is only called a savory jelly. It becomes an aspic jelly after it has been clarified.

Beef and game aspic jellies are amber in color

Veal, poultry, pork aspic jellies are light amber

 Fish aspic jelly has no color but it’s transparent

 

 

CLASSICAL METHOD OF PREPARATION

• The stock is made from more collagen rich products such as pork skin and calf’s

feet

• The stock is carefully clarified.

• This kind of aspic jelly depends solely on the gelatin present in the bones for

gelling.

QUICK METHOD OF PREPARATION

• Prepare a good quality brown stock

• Clarify as for consommé

• Chill a small portion of the clarified stock

• Rehydrate the desired amount of gelatin in the cooled portion of the stock

• Stir the bloomed gelatin into the remaining warm stock

• Chill a small sample in the refrigerator to evaluate the gel strength.

Commercial mixes are also available in dry powder form which can be reconstituted as

desired. They save time and effort but have a lower quality of flavor .

ADDITIONS OF WINES

Wines may or may not be added to the aspic jellies. In all cases the wine should be added

when the jelly is very cool, yet a liquid. This ensures that the full aroma of the wine is

preserved.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD ASPIC JELLY

1. FLAVOR- it should be intense enough. It should not be so strong so that it masks

the flavor of the main ingredients. Little amount of acids added such as lime juice

or vinegar or wines will enhance the flavor of the aspic jelly.

2. TOOTH- is the density or elasticity of the jelly. The jelly should be firm enough

to hold the desired shape, yet it should melt in the mouth.

3. CLARITY- aspic jelly should be crystal clear

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4. COLOR- the range of the color should be from rich amber to brown as in the case

of the game aspic, to white or transparent as for fish aspic jelly. Additional tones

of red can be present depending on the choice of the wine used.

Fruit aspic jellies can be colored to represent certain fruit- green to yellowish for

lime to red for the cherries. The jelly is colored using various dyes. A color

derived naturally from fruit and vegetable purees is preferable.

HANDLING AND STORAGE

• Aspic jelly is a potentially hazardous food, an ideal environment for

bacterial growth. It is high in moisture content, high in protein, and comes

from an animal source.

• Use only clean, sanitized containers for storage.

• Once jelly is set, handle it as little as possible.

• For smaller quantities pour into a proper containers and cool to 140

degrees F before refrigerating.

• Once the jelly is placed in the refrigerator allow it to set without stirring.

Aspic jelly

,or

gelée

(zhuh lay),is clarified stock that contains enoughgelatin that it solidifies when cold. The gelatine may be naturallyextracted from bones or added from a package. Good stock naturallycontains a certain amount of gelatine but, in most cases, it must besupplemented with additional unflavoured packaged gelatine. Aspic jellymay be nearly colourless (white aspic) or various shades of amber. Mostoften, however, it must be crystal clear. This is achieved by clarifying itlike a consommé. White or light-coloured aspic is used when the naturalcolours of the foods and decorations must show through. Amber or goldenaspic enhances the brown colour of foods such as roasted meats andpoultry. Aspic is used as a coating for foods and as a binding ingredient.When it is used as a coating, it has three main purposes:

1.

To protect foods from the air, which would dry them out and discolourthem.

2.

To improve appearance and give shine.

3.

To add flavour. This last purpose is, of course, best accomplished if thestock is of high quality.As a binding ingredient, aspic is used in mousses, terrines, and aspicmoulds. It is also the binding agent in chaud-froid sauce.

Note:

When aspic is used as a binding agent, it need not beperfectly clarified. In addition, when congealed and chopped orcut into various shapes, aspic jelly is used as a garnish forplatters or servings of pâtés, terrines, and other cold items.

PREPARING ASPIC JELLY

The best aspic is a well-made, naturally gelatinous stock. It has a superiortexture and flavour, but it is time-consuming to make because a separatebatch of stock must be made in addition to the normal stock production.Consequently, most aspics are made by reinforcing regular stock withgelatin. Aspic powders and mixes are available, but the flavour of aspicmade from them does not compare with that made from stock. They canbe useful in an emergency, however, or for pieces used purely for displayor decoration

.

Classic Aspic Jelly

Prepare classic aspic jelly as you would white or brown veal stock,but withthe addition of products that release a good deal of gelatin,such as splitcalves’feet or pigs’feet,pork skin, and veal knuckle bones. If enough of these items are used, the stock will contain enough natural gelatin to beused as an aspic jelly. Follow basic stock-making procedures, except donot brown the added feet and pork skin when making brown stock.Whenthe stock is made, use the following procedure to convert it to aspic jelly.

P

rocedure for Preparing Classic Aspic Jelly

1. Test the stock for gelatin content. Ladle a small amount of cooled stockonto a small plate or saucer and refrigerate.• If the stock becomes firm, no additional gelatin is needed.• If it sets but is not firm enough, add about 1⁄2 oz or 2 tbsp (15 g)powdered gelatin per quart (liter) of stock, or 2 oz (60 g) per gallon (4liters).• If it does not set at all (which is unlikely if the stock is properly made)but merely becomes thicker, add about 1 oz or 4 tbsp (30 g) powderedgelatin per quart (liter), or 4 oz (125 g) per gallon (4 liters). In this case,you will actually be making regular aspic jelly (see next section) ratherthan classic aspic jelly. Add the gelatin by first stirring it gradually into alittle cold water, avoiding making lumps, and letting it soften. Then addthe softened gelatin to the stock.2. Clarify the stock as for consommé. For white aspic (made with whitestock), omit the carrots in the mirepoix.3. After the stock is clarified, remove all traces of fat. The aspic jelly isnow ready to use

.

Regular Aspic Jelly

This is normal meat, poultry, or fish stock reinforced with gelatin andclarified.Regular stock rarely has enough natural gelatin to enable it to beused as a jelly, so extra gelatin must be added. To test the stock forgelatine content and to convert it to aspic jelly,follow the same procedureas for classic aspic jelly, described above. However, note that if the stockcontains very little gelatin and stays watery when chilled, more than 4 oz(125 g) gelatin may be needed per gallon (4 liters).

Aspic Powder

Aspic powder

is unflavoured gelatine mixed with a powdered stockbase.To prepare it, follow the instructions on the container. Additionalunflavoured gelatine may be needed for some purposes. Procedures for

using aspic jelly are discussed following a brief consideration of a relatedtopic,chaud-froid sauce.

The Addition of Wine:

A lot of chefs recommend the addition of wines to aspic jelly to enhancethe flavor and the taste of the product. If used, the wine should be addedwhen the aspic jelly is still liquid. This will ensure that the full aroma of thewine is preserved. The recommended wines are port, madeira, sherry,marsala and crisp white wines.

Characteristics of Good Aspic Jelly:

Aspic Jelly can be graded on the following parameters

Flavour, Tooth, Clarity ,Colour

The flavour of an aspic jelly should be intense enough to make the mouthwater. Yet, it should not be so strong so as to over power the flavor of themain ingredient of the product. There are three aspects to the flavour of the aspic jelly. The first is the depth of character. This comes from theproper preparation of the stock. The flavour should not be watery andweak. It should be full bodied and robust. Seasoning is another area. Theaspic jelly needs to be properly seasoned, and here we are primarilytalking salt. The flavours of the ingredients need to be released. Andlastly, there is the matter of acidity. Slightly elevating the level of aciditywill serve to accent and enliven the flavours already present. This can bedone by adding wine, lemon juice or a flavoured vinegar. However, addingacid must be done with care. Remember, acid can interfere with thegelling of the aspic jelly and alter the strength of the gel. Tooth is the density or the elasticity of the jelly. The jelly should be firmenough to hold the desired shape, yet, once it is in the mouth, it shoulddissolve immediately. The jelly should not be rubbery or chewy. There aretwo factors which determine the mouth feel of aspic jelly. First is the ratioof gelatin in the jelly. The other is the service temperature of the jelly.Aspic jelly must be strong enough to allow clean slicing, yet delicateenough to offer a good tooth. The best way to achieve this is to slice theproduct as soon as it comes out of the refrigerator and then allowing theslices to warm up slightly, softening the gel, before service .Aspic jellyshould be absolutely crystal clear. The range of colors in aspic jelly lie between the rich amber almost browncolor that can be used for game, to a nearly colorless one for fish.

Additional tomes of red can be obtained and achieved depending on thewine used in the preparation.

Handling and Storing Aspic Jelly:

Aspic Jelly is a potentially hazardous food, an ideal environment for thegrowth of bacteria. It is high in moisture content, high in protein andcomes from an animal source. In order to prolong its shelf life and toensure its wholesomeness, car must be taken in storing prepared aspic jelly.Use only clean sanitized containers for storage. Once the jelly has set,handle it as little as possible. This will help minimize the growth of bacteria. Allow the jelly to set without stirring. When it sets as a singleblock, it seals itself exposing only the top surface to contamination. Onceset, the gel should be covered. Cooling of the aspic jelly should beachieved rapidly.

procedure for Cooling Aspic Jelly

The following procedure is used for chaud-froid as well as aspic jelly.1. If the jelly is congealed, it must first be melted. Set the pan or containerof jelly in a hot-water bath. Stir it gently from time to time until it iscompletely melted.2.Place the warm aspic jelly in a stainless-steel bowl.3. At all times, be careful not to make any bubbles. Bubbles in the jellymay get transferred to the surface of your food item and mar itsappearance.4. Select a ladle that fits the curve of the bowl. Set the bowl in crushedice, pushing it in so that it sits in a well of ice. With the edge of the ladleagainst the inside of the bowl, rotate the bowl so the ladle continuallyscrapes the inside of the bowl. This method prevents the formation of lumps that occur when jelly touching the cold bowl solidifies too quickly.5. Continue to rotate the bowl until the jelly is thick and syrupy but not yetset. The jelly is now ready for use. Remove from the ice bath and workquickly, because it will set very fast.6. Re melt and re cool the jelly as necessary.

Procedure for Coating Foods with Aspic Jelly

1. Chill the food to be coated. For best results, the surface of the itemshould be as smooth and as free of fat as possible.2. Place the item on a wire rack over a tray or sheet pan. Excess aspicthat falls onto the tray can be remelted and reused.3. Cool the aspic jelly according to the procedure above.4. Use the aspic as soon as it is ready. Various methods can be used tocoat foods with aspic, depending on the size and shape of the item.• For smooth, regularly shaped items, use a large ladle and nap them witha single smooth stroke, as illustrated in Figure 27.1. Working too slowlymay produce an uneven, bumpy coat.• Large items and items with steep sides or irregular shapes are harder tocoat. Using a ladle, coat the sides first and then the top for best results.• For small items, it may be more convenient to use a kitchen spoon thana ladle.• A pastry brush can be used to coat small items. A brush is often used forsmall portions, such as canapés, that need only a light glaze rather than aperfectly smooth coating of aspic.5. Chill the items until the jelly is thoroughly set.6. Repeat with additional coats, if necessary, until the aspic is of thedesired thickness.7. To decorate, dip pieces of decoration in liquid aspic and place on theproduct in the desired pattern. Some items appropriate to use fordecorating aspic are Leek leaves Black olives Tomato peels ,Fresh herbs,especially flat-leaf Truffles, real or artificial Carrots parsley andtarragon ,As appropriate, cut the items for decoration into very thin slicesand then into desired shapes. For most vegetable decorations, such ascarrots and leek leaves, blanch to make them more limber and to intensifythe color.8. If decorations have been used, cover the decorated item with a finallayer of aspic jelly to protect the design.

Uses of Aspic Jelly:

To coat showpieces such as whole turkeys and hams.1.For Aspic sheets, Aspic mirrors and Aspic cut outs. Decorative centerpieces can be made using colored aspic.2.To fill cavities in Pates.3.To line moulds for cold buffet presentation.

4.To glaze whole terrines and galantines and items coated with chaudfroid.5.To prepare aspic croutons which can be used to garnish cold platters oreven added into salads6.Chopped aspic, which can be used as a base to present a variety of cold meats on the buffet.7.To glaze canapes, zakuski and other hors d’oeuvres.Gelee also has its uses in the kitchen. As explained earlier,

gelee

is stockthat has been reduced and cooled down to a gelatinous consistency. Itcan be used to enrich soups, sauces and gravies. It can also enhance thetaste of stews an sauces. Gelee can be used to glaze cold meat productsto prevent them from drying out during the long presentation times onthe buffet counter.

 

 

PLEASE NOTE – it is different from ASPIC- which is slices or dices of poultry,

meat, game, fish , seafood or fruit are molded in a clarified aspic jelly.

Any well made stock, prepared with large amount of

has been carefully

ified.

bones will gel when chilled. At

 

Basic cooking tips

                                    Basic cooking tips

Making Homemade Bread Crumbs

Preparation time: 30 minutes

• Cut whatever leftover bread you are using into chunks. If you wish, you can remove the crusts, which will give you a more consistently textured crumb. (I don't bother myself - kind of hard to remove just the crust from a baguette!)
 
• Spread the chunks out on a baking tray and place in a 200°F oven for 30 minutes or until they are thoroughly dried out and turning a bit golden.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
• Use a food processor to grind the cooled chunks into crumbs (takes about 1 minute on high and you may need to pulse it a bit to get things started).
• Pour the crumbs into freezer bags, date and freeze until ready to use. You can keep it in the freezer for up to three months.

How to Zest a Lemon or Orange

Here's a little review of how to zest a lemon, an orange or any other citrus fruit. Zest is often an ingredient in French recipes and shouldn't be skipped.

What is Zest?

Zest is just the very outer, brightly colored portion of the peel of a citrus fruit. The white layer that comes after is called the pith. Normally you do not want the pith in your recipes because it may add a bitter taste. The zest of a citrus fruit packs a powerful punch of flavor which will really brighten up your dish, so don't skip it if your not sure how to zest a lemon or orange.

Get Zesting

Many times citrus fruit are treated with a protective coating of wax. If at all possible, you should buy untreated fruit when you are going to use them for zesting. However, I have to admit, I've probably put some wax into various dishes through the years. In any case, you should definitely wash the fruit with warm water and then thoroughly dry it with a clean towel before zesting. Method 1. Use a vegetable peeler. Everyone has one of these in the kitchen drawer. Use a light touch because you want to get just the very outer layer of your fruit. You can quickly remove all the zest from an orange or lemon with a vegetable peeler, but you will then need to chop it finely for most recipes.Method 2. Use a zester! This takes a little more patience then a vegetable peeler but you will end up with lovely little strips of zest, which can be used to decorate your masterpiece. For most recipes though, you may want to then chop the zest more finely.Method 3. Use a Microplane grater. This must be the cooking tool of the decade based on its enormous popularity. It makes quick work of a lemon or orange, and the resulting grated zest is just right for adding to many recipes.

How to Make Croutons

 

Le Croûton

The word crouton comes directly from the French word croûte, meaning crust. They have been added to soups for centuries, and the grand classic French onion soup is always crowned with crunchy bread cubes. In France croutons might also be incorporated into an omelet or served on top of various vegetable purees.These days you can buy croutons in packages. Although salty and crunchy, most packaged croutons resemble cardboard more then anything else. Homemade croutons are flavorful and satisfying and making your own is dead easy -- definitely doable at the last minute.Besides adding great taste to salads and soups, croutons make excellent use of stale bread, a very common resource here in France. I usually use a baguette to make croutons, because that's what we have lying around. You can use other breads to make croutons, but this recipe works best on airy breads that are a bit dried out already. Some people cut the crust off of the bread before making croutons, but there's not much left to a baguette after you remove the crust, so I definitely leave it on.

Les Croûtons

 

Prep time: 15 min

Ingredients

• 3 cups or so of bread, cut into 1 inch cubes, or another size if you prefer
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic powder

Directions

1. Melt the butter and olive oil in a heavy skillet on medium heat.
2. When the butter is melted, add the cubed bread.
3. Stir and turn the bread frequently until it is golden on all sides - about five minutes.
4. Season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder

 

Cabbage Tips

• Choose cabbages that are tight and smooth.
• A cabbage should be heavy in your hand, this is an indicator of freshness.
• Remove any outer leaves that are damaged, cut in quarters and cut out the core. Rinse well with water.
• Pre-boiling cabbage for a brief time helps to make it more digestible. Rinse right after with cold water to preserve the vitamins and color.
• Some people add a slice of crusty, hard French bread to the water to cut down on the cooking odor.
• Cabbage makes a great addition to soups, like in this French stew called Poteé Champenoise.
• When cabbage is cooked well, it makes a fabulous side dish and can accompany many other things. Try this superb braised red cabbage recipe for a tasty introduction to this wonderful vegetable.

 

Sauces -Recepies

                                           Sauces recepie

Recipe Notes

White sauce is very easy to make. The only secret is to blend in the liquid bit by bit at the start. That way you won't get any clumping. The same technique is used to make lots of other sauces. If the roux (butter and flour mixture) is cooked a bit longer and you add beef bouillon for the liquid, you'll get a brown sauce recipe.The supreme sauce variation on the basic white sauce recipe has a name that doesn't mind bragging. It is great with poached chicken, but don't forget that vegetables love it too. If you simmer chicken breasts in chicken boullion (add garlic and herbs if you wish), you can prepare this sauce using the boullion, than pour it over a bed of rice with the chicken breasts arranged on top

                            Sauce blanche

 

This recipe is for one cup of sauce - multiply it as needed.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup water or chicken stock
• salt and pepper

Directions

Melt the butter over low heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook while stirring for two minutes. Add the water or stock, two tablespoons at a time, whisking the mixture to a smooth consistency after each addition. When you've added about half the liquid, you can add the rest all at once. Continue warming on low to medium heat until sauce thickens. Whisk as needed to prevent it from getting lumpy. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.

                         Sauce suprême

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt and white pepper

Directions

Melt the butter over low heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook while stirring for two minutes. Add the stock, two tablespoons at a time, whisking the mixture to a smooth consistency after each addition. Whisk in the cream and cook on medium heat until thickened and nearly boiling. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mayonnaise Recipe

You can experiment with using different oils to get mayonnaises with different tastes. This recipe makes one cup of mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon white wine or champagne vinegar
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1 cup oil (safflower, corn, olive, or other)

Directions

Place the egg yolk in a deep, heavy mixing bowl that will not move across the counter (you need both hands for the next step). Using a hand mixer, beat in mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Very slowly (remember very slowly) pour in the oil. Watch in amazement as the mixture turns to mayonnaise.   

The secret to making mayonnaise

I don't know how he figured it out, but the key to making mayonnaise is to add the oil very slowly. The first time I made it, I thought OK very slowly and added it more slowly than I'd pour a glass of milk. This did not work out. Very slowly, means exceedingly slowly. Starting out with drops and ending much later in a drizzle.

                              Sauce béchamel

 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Makes 2 cups
This recipe is for two cups of sauce. Multiply or divide by the number of cups of sauce you need.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• two pinches of nutmeg, salt, and pepper

Directions

1. Place the butter in a medium sized saucepan on low medium heat and warm gently until it has melted. Measure in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined. This mixture is called roux.
2. Cook the roux for two minutes, stirring with your spoon. The roux should be bubbling and releasing steam.
3. Now begin adding the milk, tablespoon by tablespoon. Completely incorporate each tablespoon of milk before you add more. After you've added about 1/4 of the milk, you can add more at a time. This is just a way of making sure that you don't get lumps in your sauce.
4. Add all of the milk and cook, stirring occasionally. You can use a whisk to smooth the sauce, but a wooden spoon may be all you need.
5. Heat the sauce just to below the boiling point. This should take approximately 10 minutes since the time you started adding the milk and the sauce should be quite thick.
6. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the seasoning until completely combined.
7. Allow the sauce to cool somewhat before using in another recipe or refrigerating/freezing for future use.

Variations

• Sauce Normande: Stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream along with the seasonings.
• Sauce Aurore: Stir in 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato paste.
• Sauce Poulette: Immediately after removing from the heat, stir the sauce slowly into two egg yolks. This might be used as the basis for making a souffle.
• Sauce Moutarde: Proceed as for the sauce poulette, pouring the hot sauce over two egg yolks. Then stir in two teaspoons French style mustard, chopped parsley, and a little lemon juice.

Uses for Bechamel Sauce

• As an accompaniment to white meat (pork, chicken, turkey, veal or rabbit), fish, hard boiled eggs, or steamed vegetables. Note that this bechamel sauce recipe can taste a bit plain itself, so you might want to lively it up with one of the suggested additions if you will be serving it this way.
• As an ingredient in another recipe. For example, you can use bechamel in a lasagne, alternating layers of sauce, noodles, and perhaps a meat or vegetable layer. It is a key ingredient in the classic French comfort food: les endives au jambon - endives rolled in ham.
• As a starting point for many other French sauces. You will also find that some French recipes use the technique of adding flour to a melted butter base without calling it a bechamel - it is just part of the recipe, which really simplifies things and makes for quick dinners. 

                     Sauce Brune(brown sauce)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes not included the stock timing

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups beef bouillon
• salt pepper

Directions

1. Cook the onions on low heat in the butter for about five minutes (don't brown them).
2. Mix in the flour and brown it for 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.
3. Slowly stir in the bouillon and bring to a boil.
4. Simmer the sauce on low to medium heat for 20 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. You can strain the sauce if you wish.

                                         Cheese Sauce Recipe

 

Prep time: 20 min

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and mix well. Continuing stirring over low heat for two minutes.
2. Using a whisk, and continually whisking, add the milk in small quantities - about two tablespoons at a time. Make sure that you fully incorporate the liquid before adding more - this way you will get a smooth sauce.
3. After you've added about half the milk, pour in the rest and give the mixture a good whisking. Continue to heat the sauce on low to medium heat, whisking often. Cook just to below boiling until the mixture thickens.
4. Add the cheese about 2 tablespoons at a time, thoroughly incorporating each addtion.
5. Remove from heat and whisk in nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Here is a slightly richer version of mornay sauce:

                  Sauce Mornay Classique

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup gruyere
• pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper

Directions

1. Whisk together the egg yolk and cream.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and mix well. Continuing stirring over low heat for two minutes.
3. Using a whisk, and continually whisking, add the milk in small quantities - about two tablespoons at a time. Make sure that you fully incorporate the liquid before adding more - this way you will get a smooth sauce.
4. After you've added about half the milk, pour in the rest and give the mixture a good whisking. Continue to heat the sauce on low to medium heat, whisking often. Cook just to below boiling until the mixture thickens.
5. Remove from heat and mix in the egg yolk and cream mixture, continually stirring so the egg doesn't cook into a clump.
6. Stir in the cheese, two tablespoons at a time, fully incorporating it into the sauce. You may need to reheat the sauce briefly on low heat.
7. Season to tate with nutmeg, salt and pepper

                                 Sauce Soubise(onion sauce)

 

Makes about 1 1/3 cups sauce

Ingredients

• 2 white onions, chopped finely
• 4 tablespoons butter (two for cooking the onion, and two to make the roux)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

1. Cook the onions in 2 tablespoons butter until they are very soft (about 12 minutes). They should not brown.
2. In a saucepan, melt the other 2 tablespoons of butter and incorporate the flour, stirring over low heat for two minutes.
3. Gradually whisk in the milk, blending well after each addition. Cook the sauce over low to medium heat until it thickens and comes just to a boil.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked onions and heavy cream.

                                     Sauce Béarnaise

 

Makes about 1 1/2 cups or 6 servings.

Ingredients

• 7 ounces unsalted butter, melted and clarified
• 1/4 cup very finely chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 egg yolks
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. To clarify butter, melt it over low heat without stirring. Once it has melted remove from heat and skim off the solids floating on top.
2. Place shallots, tarragon, vinegar and wine on medium heat and boil for about 5 minutes. Strain the reduction - you should end up with about 2 tablespoons of liquid.
3. Set up a double boiler arrangement with a Pyrex bowl and a saucepan. Place the egg yolks in the bowl and whisk in the reduced vinegar. Place bowl in pan of simmering water and cook, whisking continually, until mixture thickens - about five minutes.
4. Remove from heat and very slowly whisk in clarified butter. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste.

                  

                       Sauce Maltaise(orange sauce)

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

• 7 ounces unsalted butter, melted and clarified
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons water
• juice of 1/2 orange, traditionally a blood orange
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• salt and white pepper

Directions

1. Melt the butter over very low heat without stirring and skim off the solids floating on top. Fill a pan about half way with water and bring it to just below boiling.
2. Place the egg yolks in a Pyrex bowl that fits just inside the pan. Whisk in the three tablespoons of water and place bowl in pan of simmering water. Continually whisk until egg yolks thicken and lighten (about 5 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and very gradually pour in the clarified butter, continually whisking. Whisk in orange juice, zest, salt and pepper.

      
                      

                      Coulis de tomates(tomatoe sauce)

 

Ingredients

Makes about 2 cups

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 pounds of ripe, flavorful tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional)
• 1 bouquet garni
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a non-reactive (enamel, glass or stainless steel) pot on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
2. Cut each tomato into 16 or so chunks and add to the pot. Bring the sauce to a boil, then turn down the heat until it is at a very low boil. Add the bouquet garni. You can also add a small amount of sugar if the tomatoes are not sweet enough.
3. Cook the sauce at this very low boil for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Using the finest mesh strainer on a food mill, process the sauce into a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. You can freeze this sauce in clean plastic containers.

(If you don't have a food mill, be sure to peel and seed the tomatoes before adding them. After it is cooked, run the sauce through a food processor to smooth it.)



                   

                    Sauce Tartare(derivative sauce of mayonnaise)

 

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• flat leaved parsley
• 2 gherkin pickles
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 hard boiled egg
• 2 tablespoons capers
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Finely chop enough parsley so that you have two tablespoons.
2. Finely chop all of the other ingredients.
3. Mix everything in to the mayonnaise and season to taste with salt and pepper.

This can be safely kept in the refrigerator for several days.

Variations

Here are some ideas for other ingredients that might go into a tartar sauce recipe:

• herbs of all sorts: parsley, dill, chervil, tarragon
• cayenne pepper
• olives
• shallots or chives
• Dijon mustard

                           Sauce Hollandaise(warm sauce)

This recipe requires you to clarify the butter and use a double boiler arrangement to cook the sauce. Don't forget: add the butter slowly and whisk, whisk, whisk!

 

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 7 ounces unsalted butter, melted and clarified
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons water
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and white pepper

Directions

1. Melt the butter over very low heat without stirring and skim off the solids floating on top.
2. Fill a pan about half way with water and bring it to just below boiling. Place the egg yolks in a Pyrex bowl that fits just inside the pan.
3. Whisk in the three tablespoons of water and place bowl in the pan of simmering water. Continually whisk until egg yolks thicken and lighten (about 5 minutes).
4. Remove from heat and very gradually pour in the clarified butter continually whisking.
5. Whisk in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Best served immediately or warm a few seconds in the microwave. If the sauce is too thick you can whisk in a little hot water.