Beurre Blanc
This sauce from the Loire Valley region of France, seems to have a disputed origine. To the people from the Nantes region, this sauce was created by "mistake" by Clemence, cook of the Marquis de Goulaine, that would have forgoten to use eggs while making a bearnaise sauce for a pike dish that she was cooking for the Marquis. Few years later, Clemence opened her own restaurant in Chebuette, a small village near Nantes. It s there, that "la Mere Michel" found out about the beurre blanc recipe before opening her famous restaurant rue de Rannequin (held by Michel Rostang now, helds two Michelin stars) in Paris .
In the other hand, Curnonsky would argue that the beurre blanc comes from a traditional recipe, "le beurre blanc de la Possonniere", charming, little village near Angers.
This sauce is an emulsion of a different type. Here, the air bubbles are added to the fat with the aid of any emulsifier. It makes this sauce very unstable and fragile.
Recipe for 1/4 litre of finished sauce:
- 3 finely chopped shallots.
- 2 dl (63/4 fl oz) good dry white wine.
- 2 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
- 4 dl fish court-bouillon.
- 400g fresh butter, cut in dices.
- a pinch of cracked pepper.
- salt and pepper.
In a thick bottom saucepan, put the shallots, cracked pepper, court-bouillon, wine and vinegar. Bring to the boil and allow to reduce until there are only 2 tablespoons of liquid left.
Take the pot of the heat, allow to cool for 4-5 minutes. Then start whisking in the butter. At first, 4 to 5 dices at the time. Then when it starts thickening, place the pot on the stove from to time to time (be careful not to allow it to get to hot) and finish to incorporate the butter.
When finished, set aside in a bain-marie and rectify the seasoning. At this point the sauce cannot boil or even simmer or it is going to split*.
Some chefs would add 1/4 litre of double cream and a pinch of flour to the reduction. They would reduce it by half and then add in the butter. In this manner, the beurre blanc becomes stable and can boil whithout separating.
*If the sauce splits, bring a couple of spoon of water to the boil in a saucepan, take the pot of the heat and start adding the sauce, with a whisk and very little at the time until the sauce has fully come toghether. The other methode is to reduce down a 1/4 litre of cream by half and then start whisking in the splited sauce until it has been fully "recovered".
A good meal ought to begin with hunger.
French Proverb
Suitable for vegetarian, coeliacs, pregnant women.Sauce a la Diable
This recipe is one of the French classic sauce that is used to complement grilled poultry and deep fried, breaded meats. It is a sauce that is thicken with molecules. It is a sauce that should taste very zesty and peppery, with moderation now!. It has to justify its name: "a la diable" meaning devil's style.
Recipe for 6 people:
- 25g finely chopped shallots.
- 1 dl (1/2cup) dry white wine.
- 1 dl (31/3 fl oz) white wine vinegar.
- 21/2 dl of chicken or veal bouillon.
- 15g plain flour.
- 15g butter.
- a spoonful of meat glaze.
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon.
- 1 tablespoon chopped chervil.
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat parsley.
- pinch of cayenne pepper.
In a saucepan, sweat off the shallot with a nob of butter for 5 minutes or so. Add the white wine and vinegar and allow to reduce by three-quarters.
In the mean time, prepare a brown roux with the flour and butter.
Add to the wine-vinegar reduction. Make sure that it is well diluted. Then add the bouillon, bring slowly, the sauce to the boil. Let simmering for 8 to 10 minutes. Skim the sauce from time to time.
At the last minute, add the meat glaze, the chopped herbs and a pinch of cayenne pepper. If the sauce is not to be used straight away, keep it in a bain-marie and just before serving it add the meat glaze, the herbs and cayenne pepper.
"It is illegal to give someone food in which has been found a dead mouse or weasel."
Ancient Irish law
Suitable for diabetics and pregnant women. Coeliacs can replace the roux with some brown rice flour. Hollandaise Sauce
There is a recipe for a sauce that is at the base of most of the hot emulsion sauce. It goes in the composition of a wide range of "hot mayonnaise" type of sauce, such as the mousseline sauce, sauce paloise, etc.
Recipe for 1/4 of a litre of finished sauce:
- 4+3 tablespoon water.
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar.
- a pinch of cracked pepper.
- 5 egg yolk.
- 500g good butter.
- 1/2 lemon juice.
- salt and pepper.
Procedure:
Clarify the butter and set aside in a warm place.
In a thick bottom pot, reduce the vinegar, a pinch of salt, the cracked pepper and four tablespoons of water. Take the pot of the heat, pour a tablespoon of water, then put the egg yolks and start whisking.
When the egg yolks have started to foam and doubled in volume, place the pot on a very low heat and keep whisking until the mixture has thickened. You should be able to draw a line into the egg yolk foam and see the bottom of the pot for few seconds.
Then, off the heat, start to slowly, incorporate the butter like you would do for a mayonnaise. Add in 2 to 3 tablespoons of warm water as you go to give a lovely, light consistency to the sauce. At this point, make sure that the egg foam and the butter are at the same temperature.
When all the butter has been added in, strain the sauce and rectify the seasoning and add the lemon juice.
Keep the hollandaise sauce in a bain-marie until it is needed.
If it happens that the sauce over-heat, take your pot off the heat, add a tablespoon of cold water and stir energetically until all the butter has been fully incorporated. Then, continue stirring in the clarified butter.
Now, if the eggs have cooked (scrambled), there is nothing that can be done to salvage it. The whole procedure has to be started from scratch.
Some chefs, would reduce a 1/4 litre of double cream, prior to adding the eggs. Then follow the recipe has described above.
“Food is all those substances which, submitted to the action of the stomach, can be assimilated or changed into life by digestion, and can thus repair the losses which the human body suffers through the act of living.”
Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), The Physiology of Taste (1825)
Suitable for coeliacs, vegetarians, pregnant women.
Sauce Gribiche
The gribiche sauce is an emulsioned sauce with a twist: instead of using raw egg yolks, it uses cooked egg yolks. This sauce is the traditional accompaniment of veal head.
Recipe for 1/4 litre of finished sauce:
- 1 cooked egg.
- 1 tablespoon of chopped capers.
- 1 tablespoon chopped chervil.
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon.
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat parsley.
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar.
- 2.5 dl good vegetable oil.
- salt and pepper.
Delicately separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Reduce the yolk into a very fine pure and start whisking in the oil, little by little, like you would do for a mayonnaise.
When the sauce has thickened, add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Finish the sauce by adding the capers and the herbs as well as the egg white that has been carefully cut into a fine julienne.
Note that this sauce has to be kept in a cool place, not in the fridge (where it could split).
"England has three sauces and three hundred and sixty religions, whereas France has three religions and three hundred and sixty sauces."
Suitable for vegetarian, coeliacs, diabetics and pregnant women. It is lactose free.Vinaigrette
There is recipe for what is widely considered as one of the best example of the classic French sauces: the vinaigrette. Its English translation says it all: French dressing. It is believed that it is a French migrant: le chevalier d'Albignac (1739-1825)* that introduced the way of dressing salads with a seasoned mixture of oil and vinegar to the London High society.
The vinaigrette is "the odd one" of the sauce world. In opposition to all emulsion sauces that are made of oil droplets dispersed in a continuous phase of water, the French dressing is the dispersion of water droplets in a continuous phase of oil.
There is not a recipe for the vinaigrette as such. It is just a basic proportion: a 1/4 vinegar or lemon juice to 3/4 of oil seasoned with a bit of salt and white pepper.
Procedure
In a bowl, pour a tablespoon of good red wine vinegar and dissolve a pinch of table salt into it (salt does not dissolve in oil). Then, stir in 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Finally, season with some freshly ground white pepper.
Nowadays, the choice of vinegar and oils that can be used in a French dressing is quite wide. It is traditionally dictated by the type of salad leaves that are to be dressed.
*Chapter VII.
GASTRONOMICAL INDUSTRY OF THE EMIGRES.
Toute Francaise, a ce que j’imagine,
Salt, bien ou mal faire, un peu de cuisine.
Belle Arsene, Act. III.
In a chapter written for the purpose, the advantages France derived from gourmandise in 1815, were fully explained. This was not less useful to emigres; all those, who had any alimentary resources, received much benefit from it.
When I passed through Boston, I taught a cook, named Julien, who in 1794 was in his glory, how to serve eggs with cheese. Julien was a skilful lad, and had, he said, been employed by the Archbishop of Bourdeaux. This was to the Americans a new dish, and Julien in return, sent me a beautiful deer he had received from Canada, which those I invited to do honour to it, thought admirable.
Captain Collet also, in 1794 and 1795 earned much money by the manufacture of ices and sherbets.
Women always take care to enjoy any pleasures which are new to them. None can form an idea of their surprise. They could not understand how it could remain so cold, when the thermometer was at 26 [degrees] Reaumur.
When I was at Cologne, I found a Breton nobleman, who thought himself very fortunate, as the keeper of a public house; and I might multiply these examples indefinitely. I prefer however to tell of a Frenchman, who became very rich at London, from the skill he displayed in making salad.
He was a Limousin, and if I am not mistaken, was named Aubignac, or Albignac.
Poor as he was, he went, however, one day to dine at one of the first restaurants of London. He could always make a good dinner on a single good dish.
While he was discussing a piece of roast beef, five or six dandies sat at the next table, and one of them advanced and said, “Sir, they say your people excel in the art of making a salad. Will you be kind enough to oblige us?”
After some hesitation d’Albignac consented, and having set seriously to work, did his best.
While he was making his mixture, he replied frankly to questions about his condition, and my friend owned, not without a little blushing, that he received the aid of the English government, a circumstance which doubtless induced one of the young men to slip a ten pound bank bill into his hand.
He gave them his address, and not long after, was much surprised to receive a letter inviting him to come to dress a salad at one of the best houses in Grosvenor square.
D’Albignac began to see that he might draw considerable benefit from it, and did not hesitate to accept the offer. He took with him various preparations which he fancied would make his salad perfect as possible.
He took more pains in this second effort, and succeeded better than he had at first. On this occasion so large a sum was handed to him that he could not with justice to himself refuse to accept it.
The young men he met first, had exaggerated the salad he had prepared for them, and the second entertainment was yet louder in its praise. He became famous as “the fashionable salad–maker,” and those who knew anything of satirical poetry remembered:
Desir do nonne est un feu pui devore,
Desir d’Anglaise est cent fois piri encore.
D’Albignac, like a man of sense, took advantage of the excitement, and soon obtained a carriage, that he might travel more rapidly from one part of the town to the other. He had in a mahogany case all the ingredients he required.
Subsequently he had similar cases prepared and filled, which he used to sell by the hundred.
Ultimately he made a fortune of 80,000 francs, which he took to France when times became more peaceful.
When he had returned to France, he did not hurry to Paris, but with laudable precaution, placed 60,000 francs in the funds, and with the rest purchased a little estate, on which, for aught I know, he now lives happily. His funded money paid him fifty per cent.
These facts were imparted to me by a friend, who had known D ‘Albignac in London, and who had met him after his return.
GASTRONOMICAL INDUSTRY OF THE EMIGRES.
Toute Francaise, a ce que j’imagine,
Salt, bien ou mal faire, un peu de cuisine.
Belle Arsene, Act. III.
In a chapter written for the purpose, the advantages France derived from gourmandise in 1815, were fully explained. This was not less useful to emigres; all those, who had any alimentary resources, received much benefit from it.
When I passed through Boston, I taught a cook, named Julien, who in 1794 was in his glory, how to serve eggs with cheese. Julien was a skilful lad, and had, he said, been employed by the Archbishop of Bourdeaux. This was to the Americans a new dish, and Julien in return, sent me a beautiful deer he had received from Canada, which those I invited to do honour to it, thought admirable.
Captain Collet also, in 1794 and 1795 earned much money by the manufacture of ices and sherbets.
Women always take care to enjoy any pleasures which are new to them. None can form an idea of their surprise. They could not understand how it could remain so cold, when the thermometer was at 26 [degrees] Reaumur.
When I was at Cologne, I found a Breton nobleman, who thought himself very fortunate, as the keeper of a public house; and I might multiply these examples indefinitely. I prefer however to tell of a Frenchman, who became very rich at London, from the skill he displayed in making salad.
He was a Limousin, and if I am not mistaken, was named Aubignac, or Albignac.
Poor as he was, he went, however, one day to dine at one of the first restaurants of London. He could always make a good dinner on a single good dish.
While he was discussing a piece of roast beef, five or six dandies sat at the next table, and one of them advanced and said, “Sir, they say your people excel in the art of making a salad. Will you be kind enough to oblige us?”
After some hesitation d’Albignac consented, and having set seriously to work, did his best.
While he was making his mixture, he replied frankly to questions about his condition, and my friend owned, not without a little blushing, that he received the aid of the English government, a circumstance which doubtless induced one of the young men to slip a ten pound bank bill into his hand.
He gave them his address, and not long after, was much surprised to receive a letter inviting him to come to dress a salad at one of the best houses in Grosvenor square.
D’Albignac began to see that he might draw considerable benefit from it, and did not hesitate to accept the offer. He took with him various preparations which he fancied would make his salad perfect as possible.
He took more pains in this second effort, and succeeded better than he had at first. On this occasion so large a sum was handed to him that he could not with justice to himself refuse to accept it.
The young men he met first, had exaggerated the salad he had prepared for them, and the second entertainment was yet louder in its praise. He became famous as “the fashionable salad–maker,” and those who knew anything of satirical poetry remembered:
Desir do nonne est un feu pui devore,
Desir d’Anglaise est cent fois piri encore.
D’Albignac, like a man of sense, took advantage of the excitement, and soon obtained a carriage, that he might travel more rapidly from one part of the town to the other. He had in a mahogany case all the ingredients he required.
Subsequently he had similar cases prepared and filled, which he used to sell by the hundred.
Ultimately he made a fortune of 80,000 francs, which he took to France when times became more peaceful.
When he had returned to France, he did not hurry to Paris, but with laudable precaution, placed 60,000 francs in the funds, and with the rest purchased a little estate, on which, for aught I know, he now lives happily. His funded money paid him fifty per cent.
These facts were imparted to me by a friend, who had known D ‘Albignac in London, and who had met him after his return.
Extract of The Physiology of taste By Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
Suitable for vegan, vegetarian, coeliacs, pregnant women, lactose intolerant people and diabetics.Sauce Chasseur
There a recipe for a classic sauce that is traditionally associated to a chicken dish: "chicken chasseur". This sauce is thicken with molecules as a brown roux is use in that purpose.
Recipe for 6 people:
- 10g plain flour.
- 10g butter.
- 21/2 dl (1 cup) chicken or veal bouillon.
- 1 tablespoon of good tomato paste.
- 12 button mushrooms.
- 2 shallots.
- 1 dl (1/2 cup) good, dry, white wine.
- 1 spoonful fresh chervil.
- 1 spoonful fresh tarragon.
- 1 spoonful fresh parsley.
- 2 large ripe, tomatoes.
- 30g butter to finish the sauce.
Procedure
Wash thoroughly the mushrooms and the herbs. Finely sliced the mushrooms, finely chopped the shallots, peel, core and dice up the tomatoes and coarsely chopped the herbs. Set the lot aside.
Make a brown roux with the butter and flour, combining the two in a thick bottom pot and allowing to cook gently until it reaches the color required. Add the tomato paste. Pour in the bouillon and allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, skimming all along.
In a sauté pan, sautée the mushroom over high heat for 5 to 6 minutes, then add the shallots and sweat the lot for another minute. Cover the pot and reduce the heat and allow to gently cook for 5 minutes. Add in the wine, bring the lot to the boil and let it reduce by half.
Pour the thickened bouillon to the mushroom-wine mixture. Bring to a gentle simmer, cook for 6 to 7 minutes. Keep skimming the sauce.
To finish, add in the herbs and dices of tomatoes and the butter. Rectify the seasoning.
"in the orchestra of a great kitchen, the sauce chef is a soloist."
Nut free, suitable for diabetic.Sauce Bordelaise
This classic French sauce is characterized by shallots infused in Bordeaux red wine and beef marrow. The early bordelaise sauce were made using white wine, sauterne or grave for the infusion. This sauce is a classic example of sauce thickened with molecules as a roux is used to thicken the veal jus (that itself contains a large amount of gelatin).
Recipe for 1/2 litre of finished sauce:
- 30g butter.
- 40g carrots.
- 40g onions.
- few stems of parsley.
- 2 sprigs of thyme.
- 2 small pieces of bay leaf.
- 20g plain flour.
- 6 dl (21/2 cups) veal jus or sauce espagnole.
- 40g finely chopped shallots.
- 3 dl (11/4 cups) good Bordeaux red wine.
- 1 pinch of white pepper.
- 75g butter.
- 80g beef marrow*.
Procedure
The following part of the recipe is optional if using a finished sauce espagnole. In a thick-bottom sauce pan, sweat of the carrot and onions cut in mirepoix. Add the flour and cook it slowly until the mixture reaches a nice brown color. Then add the veal jus, the parsley, a sprig of thyme and a piece of bay leaf. Bring to the boil and cook, gently, for 40 minutes. Strain and skim.
In the mean time, take a small sauté pan and pour in the wine, add the shallots, the thyme and bay left over and bring the lot to the boil. Allow to reduce by half. Then add the pepper.
Add the wine shallots infusion to the jus and cook gently for another 15 minutes skimming regularly.
Strain the sauce through a chinois and finish the sauce by whisking in the butter, add the beef marrow and rectify the seasoning.
Note that once finished the sauce cannot boil again or the butter will separate from the rest of the sauce. So, keep it hot into a bain-marie (double-boiler).
* To cook the beef marrow: using a good knife, deeped in hot water, cut the marrow into small dices. Roll them, gently, in some rock salt and cook them in some boiling water for 8 minutes.
"Sauces comprise the honor and glory of French cookery. They have contributed to its superiority, or pre-eminence, which is disputed by none. Sauces are the orchestration and accompaniment of a fine meal, and enable a good chef or cook to demonstrate his talent."
Nut free.Mayonnaise
This cold sauce is the basic sauce from which most of the other cold sauces derive from. It consists of a cold emulsion of egg yolks, vinegar and oil. Its origin is not very clear. It seems to be four different origins to this recipe. The first one, gives the invention of the mayonnaise to the Duc de Richelieu in 1756. Other sources seem to link this recipe to the town of Bayonne , where it would have been the speciality. Antonin Careme, in his "Traité des entrées froides" refers to the word manier (To handle) to explain the origin of the mayonnaise. Finaly, Prosper Montagné (1865-1948), writer of the world famous "Larousse Gastronomic" suggest that the word mayonnaise comes from an old French word, moyeu, which meant egg yolk.
Before looking at the recipes (old and modern ones), lets lay down the conditions that are going to make this recipe a success every time.
- First tip: season with the salt at the beginning of the recipe by dissolving it into the vinegar. By doing that the chloride ions, contained in the salt, will help stabilizing the emulsion.
- Second one: make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature before starting. Temperature chocks are the second most common cause of mayonnaise failure.
- Third and maybe the most important one: take your time. Make sure that you add the oil to the mixture, at the beginning of the recipe, very gradually and very slowly.
Recipe for a litre of finished mayonnaise "old style" as A. Escoffier made it:
- 6 egg yolks.
- 1 lit vegetable oil.
- 11/2 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
- 10g table salt.
- 1g white pepper.
In a bowl, dissolve the salt in half of the vinegar or lemon juice.
Add the egg yolks and stir well.
Very slowly and very gradualy, start whisking in the oil. When it has started to thicken, gradualy increase the amount of oil that is incorporated the the sauce (no more than a medium drizzle though).
Add in the rest of the vinegar or lemon juice and season with the white pepper.
Modern mayonnaise recipe as I was taught in college, for a litre of finished sauce:
- 4 egg yolks.
- 1 tea spoon of dijon mustard.
- 1 spoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
- 10g table salt.
- 1g white pepper.
- 1 lit vegetable oil.
In a bowl dissolve the salt in half of the vinegar or lemon juice. Add in the mustard and egg yolks and mix them well.
Very gently and very gradually, start stirring in the oil. When it starts thickening, slowly increase the amount of oil that is incorporated to the mixture (again, no more than a drizzle).
Finish the sauce by adding the rest of the lemon juice or vinegar and season with the white pepper.
Note that a mayonnaise sauce cannot be stored in the fridge (another major cause of the sauce spliting). It should be kept only for a day or two in a cool place. Being aware of the health risk that are involved with the use of raw eggs and the way the sauce is stored, I would advise pregnant women, elderly or young children to use ready made mayonnaise, which can be kept refrigerated.
"A well made sauce will make even an elephant or a grandfather palatable."
Grimod de la Reynière
Gluten free, vegetarian, suitable for diabetics (in small amount), dairy free.Sabayon or Zabaglione Sauce
The sabayon is smooth, light, foamy sauce/dessert, thickened with bubbles, of Italian origin. It comes from the Italian words zabaione or zabaglione which themselves come from a Napolitan word: zapillare which means foaming. It is traditionaly served lukewarm, in a garnished cup or glass. It was for a long time the speciality of the "Greco café" in Rome.
Nowadays, zabaglione sauce is used to coat puddings, various type of pastries or poached and fruits.
A sabayon also refer to a type of mousseline sauce made with champagne that accompanies fish or shellfish based dishes.
This recipe serves 6 people:
- 3 egg yolks.
- 100g (31/2 oz) caster sugar.
- 11/2 dl (5 fl oz) of white wine*.
- juice of 1/2 lemon or 2 tablespoons of liqueur**.
In a stainless steel bowl (make sure that it can fit in one of your pot, as it will be placed in a bain-marie), place the eggs and the sugar and work them vigorously until the mixture makes a ribbon (see picture).
Place a pot on the range with some water and bring it to a gentle simmer.
Gradually, add the white wine to the egg-sugar mixture and place the bowl into the bain-marie and start whisking, using a small sauce whisk. Keep beating lightly the mixture, continuously, until the sabayon start thickening and reach a light foamy consistency. During this operation make sure that your bowl does not get too hot ("keep it below 55 degrees centigrade") otherwise the egg yolks could cook and scramble. To Check that you are at the right temperature, just touch the side of the bowl with your hand, if you burn yourself it is too hot.
The liqueur should be added to the zabaglione just before serving.
If the sauce is not to be served straight away, place it in a bain-marie until serving time.
Serve lukewarm.
* Wine: traditionaly the sabayon is made using a dry white wine such as asti wine, chardonay, champagne, etc or a sweet wine such as marsala, sauterne, gewurztraminer, muscat, etc.
** Liqueur: a vast selection of liqueur can be used to flavour a zabaglione sauce. The choice of the liqueur is based on its final use. It ranges from kirch, grappa, rum, Grand marnier, cointreau or curacao to creme de cassis, orange or rose blossom water, etc.
"What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others".
Lucretius
Gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian. Not suitable for diabetics.Sauce verte
The sauce verte or green sauce, has often been the label of other green sauces, such as the Spanish green mojo or Mexican salsa verde. This recipe is based on classic French cooking traditions and also is the most widely used.
Recipe for 12-15 people:
- 40g baby spinach leaves.
- 40g watercress leaves.
- 20g flat parsley leaves.
- 20g chervil leaves.
- 20g tarragon leaves.
- 4 egg yolks.
- 6 dl vegetable oil.
- 1 tablespoon of good tarragon vinegar.
- 8g salt.
- 1 good pinch of freshly ground pepper.
Pick and wash thoroughly all the herbs. Dry them, then blanch them. When cooled, make sure that the herbs are properly dried. This part of the recipe needs to be done very carefully as the final colour of the sauce depends on the herbs keeping their nice green colouring at this point.
Reduce them into a fine paste into a food processor.
Make the mayonnaise in the usual way and at the end add the herb puré spoonful by spoonful.
Make sure to keep this sauce verte at a stable temperature as it can very quickly split.
The more you eat, the less flavour; the less you eat, the more flavour.
Chinese Proverb
Vegetarian, nut free, dairy free, coeliacs.Classic tomato sauce
There is the classic recipe of tomato sauce as it was done since Antonin Careme's time. It was a sauce which was thickened with molecules as well as particles. This sauce is a succulent and strong base for various sauces and dishes. It keeps very well and is quite easy to cook.
Recipe for 1 litre of finished sauce:
- 1.5Kg (2Lb 12oz) fresh tomatoes.
- 40g carrots.
- 30g onions.
- 20g extra virgin olive oil (originally butter was used instead).
- 1 quarter of a bay leaf.
- 1 fragment of thyme.
- 5 sprig of parsley.
- 30g of bacon (Falcutatif).
- 30g flour (or 1 small tablespoon of arrow root for coeliacs).
- 4 dl (1 3/4 cup) vegetable or 3 meats bouillon.
- 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic.
- 1 pinch of sugar.
- salt and pepper
Procedure:
Cut the carrot, onion, bacon (falcutatif),into a mirepoix. Cook it in heavy-bottomed pot until golden brown. Add in the flour and cook gently as for a blond roux.
Halve all the tomatoes and press them to get rid of the water and seeds. Put them in the sauce pan as well as the herbs, the sugar and the garlic. Allow to cook, gently, for 5-10 minutes. Then pour in the bouillon of your choice.
Bring to the boil over high-heat, stirring constantly to avoid it to stick to the bottom of the pot. Then, cover and either put it in the oven at a medium heat (works best as the temperature is more even)or leave it on the range on low-heat stirring regularly for 1h30.
Strain and check the seasoning.
I have to say that I rarely use this recipe. I developed my own recipe to suit my needs in the kitchen.
"My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four; unless there are three other people".
Orson Wells
Following my advice, gluten free, vegetarian, vegan.Velouté
In classic cooking, the velouté is, with the espagnole sauce, the cornerstone of sauce making. This is the base of 90% of all "white sauces". It based on white chicken or veal stock thickened with molecules: the roux.
Recipe for a litre of finished velouté:
- 60g butter.
- 60g flour.
- 11/2 lit white veal stock.
- 60g mushroom trimmings.
- 1 bunch of parsley.
In a thick bottom pot, make a roux with the flour and the butter. Cook it until it reaches a light blond color.
Dilute it, with a whisk, in 11/4 litre of veal stock. Then, bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
Add in the parsley and mushroom trimmings and let it cook for a hour.
During this hour of gentle cooking, add little by little the remaining veal stock and skim thoroughly.
Finally, Strain through a chinois.
"Fervet olla, vivit amicitia": While the pot boils, friendship endures.
Latin Proverb
contains gluten and dairies.Allemande Sauce
This classic sauce, also known as "parisienne sauce", is used as a base for a number of classic "white dishes" such as chicken or veal blanquette, vol au vents and puff pastry based dishes.
This sauce is thickened with molecules as it is based on a white veal velouté enriched with egg yolks.
Recipe for 1 litre of finished sauce:
- 1 lit (41/4 cups) veal velouté.
- 1 dl (31/3 fl oz) mushroom cooking juice.
- 5 egg yolks.
- 1 pinch white pepper.
- 1 pinch nutmeg.
- 50g butter.
Pour the finished veal velouté into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
In a bowl, mix the egg yolks and the mushroom cooking juice.
Off the heat, mix in the the egg yolk mixture into the velouté. Add the pepper and the nutmeg. Put this sauce back on the stove and bring to the boil and let it reduce until it reach its previous volume. keep stiring all along the reduction process.
Stir in the butter and check the seasoning.
Finally, strain the finished sauce through a chinois.
"Hunger is the best sauce in the world".
Cervantes
Contains flour, contains dairies.
Bearnaise Sauce
This is the basic recipe of a sauce that is thickened with droplets. This classic French sauce is derived form the basic sauce Hollandaise. The béarnaise sauce makes a classic accompaniment of any type of grilled or pan-fried food.
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 4 tablespoons of tarragon vinegar.
- 4 tablespoons of dry white wine.
- 1 oz finely chopped shallots.
- 1 sprig of French tarragon, finely chopped.
- 2 sprigs of chervil, finely chopped.
- 1 teaspoon of cracked pepper.
- 3 egg yolks.
- 175g of clarified butter.
In a pot with a thick bottom, place the wine, vinegar, cracked pepper, shallots, 1/2 the tarragon and 1/2 the chervil and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and let it reduce until nearly dry. Here they are two schools, some chefs will strain the pepper and herbs out before adding the yolks other would let them in. Personally, I leave it in.
Take your pot of the heat and add a teaspoon of cold water. Put your egg yolks and start whisking energetically until it has doubled in volume and started to thicken. While whisking you must keep the pot at a constant temperature. Around 55 degrees Celsius (the best test is to put your hand at the bottom of the pot, if it is lukewarm it is too cold and if you burn yourself it is too hot).
At this point, start gradually stirring in the clarified butter. A little tip to make sure that it is not gonna split: make sure that both the temperature of the butter and the eggs are equal.
Finally, add in the rest of the herbs and rectify the seasoning.
Do not boil this sauce. It must stay bellow 55 degrees Celsius, otherwise it is gonna split and the egg yolks will cook. The sauce will be ruined.
"Enchant, stay beautiful and graceful, but do this, eat well. Bring the same consideration to the preparation of your food as you devote to your appearance. Let your dinner be a poem, like your dress."
Charles Pierre Monselet, French author (1825-1888)
Vegetarian, gluten free.
A Classic Approach to Sauces and Dishes Associations
As I wrote on my previous posts on sauces, a sauce is an accompaniment that will enhance or complement the main ingredient of a dish. I concocted this list of ingredients with the classic sauce accompaniment, accordingly to the way they are cooked.
Offals
Braised, deep-fried or pan-fried: Sweet and sour, Allemande, banquiere, beurre noisette, Breton, chaud-froid (chicken veloute), Scottish, Hungarian, ivory, meurette, ravigote, Soubise, supreme, tartar, Villeroi, sherry vinegar.
Ox tongue: Piquante (gherkins and vinegar), roman, tomato sauce.
Pig trotters: Devil's, mustard, Sainte-Menehould.
Braised sweetbreads: Albufera, aurore, chantilly, tarragon sauce, financiere, Foyot, Godard, Nantua, périgourdine, Régence.
Kidney, grilled or pan-fried: Beurre marchand de vin, madera sauce, Portuguese sauce, tyrolienne.
Veal head: Gribiche, mayonnaise, parsley sauce, tortue.
Vol au vents
Allemande sauce, banquiere, financiere, mariniere, normande, périgourdine, Soubise, supreme, Toulousaine and sherry sauce.
Shellfish
Cold dishes: Gribiche sauce, kiwi based sauce, mayonnaise, remoulade, verte (green sauce), Marie-Rose, Cocktail sauce.
Hot dishes: Americaine, prawn sauce, armoricaine, lobster sauce, Indian sauce, Nantua, Newburg, Victoria sauce, thermidor.
Snails
Garlic butter, Aioli, poulette sauce.
Feathered Game
Bread sauce, chaud-froid sauce (game stock, demi-glace, egg yolks, butter), moscovite, port wine sauce, salmis sauce.
Game
Aniseed sauce (sweet and sour), dried cherries sauce, chaud-froid, game jus, Cumberland, sauce Grand-veneur, moscovite, Napolitan, Onion sauce, poor man's sauce, périgourdine, pignoles sauce, apple sauce (spiced apple marmelade), pepper sauce (poivrade), Reform sauce, roman, saupiquet (hare), smitane, Victoria (base of Espagnole sauce with port and redcurrant jelly).
Gratins
Frog legs
Garlic butter, poulette (Allemande sauce+mushrooms, parsley and lemon juice), Aioli.
Oysters
Shallot sauce, tartar, flavoured vinegar.
Fish roe
Brown butter, tartar sauce.
Vegetables
Asparagus: Batarde sauce, chantilly, maltaise, Pompadour, truffle sauce, vierge.
Boiled or steamed vegetables: Aioli (sharp garlic mayonnaise), melted butter, Gascogne butter, beurre mousseux (foamy butter), maitre d'hotel butter, brown butter, Allemande sauce, batarde sauce, béchamel sauce, white sauce, chantilly, hollandaise sauce, mikado sauce, Mornay sauce, mousseline sauce (hollandaise with with wipped cream), tomato sauce.
Cardoons: Lyonnaise sauce (onion, vinegar, white wine, demi-glace), marrow sauce.
Salads and raw vegetables: Anchovy dressing, dijonnaise sauce, cold indian sauce (mayonnaise with curry and chives), kiwi sauce, mayonnaise, horseraddish sauce, remoulade sauce, roquefort cheese sauce, russian sauce, verdurette sauce, vinaigrette, yoghurt sauce.
Beans: Tomato sauce, breton sauce, cream sauce.
Leeks: Vierge (butter, lemon, juice), vinaigrette.
Potatoes: Cottage cheese sauce, horseraddish sauce, tartar sauce, curry sauce, ketchup.
Green leaves: Flavoured oils, Rossini sauce, vinaigrette, flavoured vinegar.
Sauteed or braised vegetables: Bohemian sauce, Colbert sauce, cream sauce, Italian sauce (Bouillon, mushrooms, shallots, onions, tomatoes, dices of ham), poulette sauce, provencale sauce, Soubise sauce, supreme, tomato.
Mussels
Mariniere (shallots, parsley, white wine and butter), poulette, ravigotte, Catalane, provencale.
Eggs
Hard boiled and served hot (or Lukewarm): Allemande, aurore, béhamel, white sauce, duxelle sauce, Indian sauce (chicken or fish veloute with lemon juice and mace), lyonnaise, Mornay, Soubise, tomato.
Poached or 6minutes eggs: American, andalouse sauce, aurore sauce (white sauce with tomato), banquiere, bourguignone (Beef or chicken bouillon, mushrooms, onions, pork belly, roux), bretonne, chasseur, chaud-froid, Chivry, Choron (bearnaise with tomato fondue), cream sauce, cressoniere (with lambs lettuce), Scottish (Chicken consommé with madera wine, julienne of carrot, celery, leek and truffle) tarragon sauce, Hungarian, Indian, Ivory, matelote, meurette (bourguignonne sauce with croutons and lardons), marrow sauce, Mornay, Nantua, périgourdine, Portuguese, printaniere (spring sauce), provencale, rouennaise, royale, Soubise, supreme, venitienne, Hollandaise.
Omelets: Chasseur sauce, prawn sauce, madera wine sauce, normande, Reform, tomato, Worcestershire sauce.
Pastas
Al fungi, al arrabita, pesto, bolognaise, duxelle sauce, financiere (espagnole, beef bouillon, Madera wine, truffle), ketchup, poulette, stufatu (Corsican meat (beef, game, pork belly) stew with tomatoes, onions and parsley), vinaigrette, alfredo, carbonara, tomato, napolitan.
Fish
Braised or baked fish: American, bourguignone, bonne femme, breton (Julienne of mushroom, leek and celery, fish veloute, white wine, creme fraiche), bourguignotte, cardinal, chambertin wine sauce, Chambord (for carp), prawn sauce, diplomate, crayfish sauce, genevoise sauce, genoese sauce, greek sauce, gooseberry sauce, Hungarian sauce, Italian, Joinville sauce(fish veloute with prawns, mushrooms, crayfish and truffle thickened wit egg yolks and cream), Laguipiere sauce (white wine sauce with truffles), matelote (for eel), meurette, normande, Newburg, Portuguese, Riche sauce (for sole, John Dory, turbot), rougail, tyrolyenne, veron, Victoria, white wine sauce, red wine sauce.
Deep-fried: Tartar, nuoc-mam, pekinoise (from Beijing), ketchup, raito.
Smoked fish: Cream sauce, Horseraddish sauce.
Grilled fish: Anchovy butter, gascogne butter, Bercy butter, flavoured oils, spicy oils, pissalat, batarde sauce, Beauharnais sauce, Choron, Colbert, Fennel sauce (for mackerels), Italian, marrow sauce, mustard sauce, Saint-Malo sauce (for ray, turbot and brill), tapenade, pesto, aioli.
Marinated fish: Escabeche sauce, Italian sauce, tomato sauce.
Fish cooked "meuniere" : Brown butter, Bonnefoy sauce.
Poached or steamed fish, served hot: Beurre blanc (pike, sanders), mousseux butter, brown butter, black butter (ray), Allemande sauce, anchovy sauce, batarde sauce, béchamel, Bercy sauce, white sauce (made with fish stock), brandade (mash potato, garlic and olive oil), caper sauce, chervil sauce, chaud-froid sauce, cream sauce, prawn sauce, red mojo, green curry sauce, Scottish sauce, egg sauce, francaise sauce, hollandaise, oyster sauce, indian sauce, maltaise, mariniere, Mornay, mussels sauce, mousseline sauce, mustard sauce, Nantua, oursinade (sea urshin sauce), parsley sauce, poulette, rouille (spicy mayonnaise), sabayon, sorrel sauce, Thermidor, tortue, truffle, venitienne sauce, waterfish (served hot).
Poached or steamed fish, served cold: Montpellier butter, aioli, anchovy sauce (served cold), cinghalaise, gribiche, La Varenne, mayonnaise, oriental sauce, sorrel sauce (served cold), ravigote, remoulade (mayonnaise with dijon mustard), russian sauce, tartar, tomato sauce, red mojo, verte sauce, vinaigrette, Vincent sauce, waterfish (served cold).
Quenelles (dumplings)
Rice
Served hot: Chasseur sauce, Duxelle sauce, Indian, Mustard sauce, Richelieu sauce, tomato sauce.
Served cold: Mayonnaise, tartar, vinaigrette.
Meat
Lamb: Mint sauce, Reform sauce, jus.
Minced or boiled meat: Devil's sauce (sauce a la diable), minced sauce, Italian sauce, lyonnaise sauce, bread sauce, poor's man sauce, piquante sauce, Robert sauce, Verjus (wine made from unripe grappes) sauce.
Large cuts of meats for roasting or braising: Jus, cooking liquid (braised meat), Albert sauce (white veal bouillon with horseraddish, mustard, vinegar, thickened with bread crumbs and creme fraiche), English cream sauce (white veal consomme, roux, creme and mushroom essences), bread crumb sauce (shallots, ham, veal veloute, lemon juice, veal stock, bread crumb), Godard sauce, madera wine sauce, pepper sauce, Regence sauce, Richelieu sauce, russian sauce, sarladaise sauce, Tallayrand sauce.
Ham: Cumberland sauce, Madera wine sauce, saupiquet sauce, sherry sauce, Yorkshire sauce.
Mutton: Harrissa (maroccan chilli paste), Cumberland sauce, Indian sauce, onion sauce.
Small cuts of meat, served panfried or sauteed: Sweet and sour sauce, bearnaise, bordelaise, bourguignone, chasseur, roe-deer sauce, choron, duxelle sauce, tarragon sauce, financiere, hungarian, hussarde sauce, Italian, madera wine sauce, marrow sauce, perigourdine sauce, portuguese sauce, provencale, Talleyrand sauce, tomato, Valois, sherry wine sauce, zingara (paprika, mushroom, ham, demi-glaze, tomato).
Pork: nuoc-mam, sambal, sweet and sour sauce, charcutiere (veal stock, gherkins, vinegar, parsley), piquante, apple sauce, Robert sauce, Sainte-Menehould, sage sauce, Swedish sauce.
White meat: Aurore sauce, Breton sauce, cinghalaise sauce, cream sauce, tarragon sauce, hungarian sauce, Italian sauce, meurette, parsley sauce, romaine sauce (braised beef), Soubise, villageoise sauce, truffle sauce, zingara.
Cold meat: Aioli, anchovy butter, avocado sauce, Cambridge sauce, chaud-froid, dijonnaise sauce, mayonnaise, mousketeer sauce (mayonnaise with shallots cooked in white wine, meat glaze, cayenne pepper), horseraddish sauce, ravigote sauce (vinaigrette, tarragon, parsley, mixed herbs, chervil, onion and capers), remoulade sauce, tomato sauce.
Grilled meat: Anchovy butter, Bercy butter, Chivry butter, Colbert, oyster sauce, morel sauce, butter, bearnaise, choron sauce, Snail butter, Maitre d'hotel, marchand de vine sauce (sirloin), ravigote (served hot), barbecue sauce, Beauharnais sauce, Bonnefoy sauce, Bontemps, bordelaise sauce, Chateaubriand sauce, Colbert sauce, Foyot, harrissa, mustard sauce, paloise sauce, Robert sauce, sarladaise sauce, tyrolienne.
Crumbed and deep-fried meat: Tomato sauce, Villeroi sauce.
Crumbed and pan-fried meat: Devil's sauce, Sainte-menehould (onion, thyme, baie leaf, vinegar, white wine, mustard, demi-glace and gherkins), mustard sauce.
Poultry
Braised: Albufera sauce (chicken velouté, chicken stock, creme fraiche, butter, pepper, veal stock), celery sauce, duxelle sauce, financiere sauce, Godard, onion sauce, piemontaise, provencale, Talleyrand, villageoise, sherry sauce.
Duck: Bigarade, chaud-froid, dodine sauce, apple sauce, rouennaise, Yorkshire, sweet and sour, soy sauce, cantonese sauce.
Goose: Apple sauce, sage sauce, Swedish sauce.
Poached or pan-fried dishes: Albufera sauce, allemande sauce, aurore sauce, cold avocado sauce, banquiere sauce, breton, chervil sauce, chantilly, chaud-froid, Chivry, cream sauce, Scottish, tarragon sauce, financiere sauce, mixed herbs sauce, Indian sauce, ivory sauce, mayonnaise, Mornay, Nantua, Perigueux, parsley sauce, printaniere, ravigote sauce, red mojo, Richelieu, royale, supreme, toulousaine, thai green curry, thai red curry, Indian curry, venitienne.
Grilled chicken: Bontemps sauce, Devil's sauce, paloise (bearnaise sauce in which the tarragon has been replaced by mint), Sainte-Menehould, tyrolienne.
Roast poultry: Sweet and sour sauce, cranbery sauce, English sauce, bread sauce, jus, gravy.
Sautéed poultry: Bourguignone, chasseur sauce, duxelle sauce, Hungarian sauce, Indian sauce, périgourdine, salmis sauce, zingara.
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As I based myself on the conventional "Antonin Caremes sauce classification", my experience and training as well as some sauces that I've learned throughout my few years in kitchens working with chefs from all over the planete, this list is not repesentative of all the classic sauce-dishes association in the World. So, where ever you are, feel free to let me know of the traditional sauce-dishes association in your traditional gastronomy. I will make a point to add it to the list.
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