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.