Let’s take a look at the five main sauces of French cuisine, which form the basis for future variations in flavor. In French cooking, sauces are given considerable attention. They are served with hot and cold dishes and are used as an ingredient, for example, the classic béchamel is the basis for lasagne. Sauces are used in haute cuisine all over the world. But they are prepared not only by chefs, but by everyone who is interested in culinary excellence. Author: Chef Kirill Yurovskiy.
Béchamel or King of Sauces
The famous béchamel sauce opens the palette of the five sauces of French cuisine.
To make it you need butter (50 g) and vegetable oil (2 tablespoons), milk (500 g) and flour (2 tablespoons). At first, the butter of the two types is melted in a saucepan, and the flour is gradually mixed into the mixture. The resulting mixture is called roux, it adds a soft, creamy flavor to dishes, and it is used as a thickener in sauces. The color of roux varies depending on how the flour is fried: it can be white, golden, reddish, or brown.
Milk is gradually poured into the mixture and, stirring continuously, let the mass come to a boil. Add salt and simmer, stirring over low heat for another 10 minutes. The consistency is adjusted during cooking: if it is necessary to dilute, add milk, if thicken – boil for longer.
The sauce is served hot and serves as a base for hot dishes.
Veloute or white sauce
This sauce requires a broth – chicken, fish or beef – which must first be boiled. The ready broth (500g) is strained, then left to infuse. During this time, melt butter (50 g) and mix flour (2 tablespoons). Unlike the previous sauce, no vegetable oil is added to the veloute. Pour broth over the cooled mixture and boil it for about another hour, stirring. The ready sauce is served hot and traditionally to the dish, from the base of which the broth was cooked: browned chicken legs, pieces of fish or beef. The sauce gives a deep, voluminous flavor and fully justifies the cooking time.
Hollandez
It is one of the main sauces of French cuisine, though it comes from Holland. It is prepared from butter (150 g), egg yolks (3 pcs.), lemon juice (1 tbsp.), water (1 tbsp.) and salt. Separate two small pieces (15-20 grams each) from the butter, and melt the main part and let it cool a little. Separate the yolks from the whites and whip for 1 minute until it thickens. Add lemon juice, water, salt and whisk for another half a minute. Then put the mixture in a water bath, add a piece of butter and whip until it becomes creamy. Then remove the pan, add to the cooled mixture a second piece of butter, and gradually pour all the melted butter. Whisk the mixture until it thickens, so that the sauce becomes similar to heavy cream. Salt and pepper can be added to taste.
Serve warm and serve as a base for hot dishes.
Tomato sauce
To prepare the tomato sauce you need tomatoes (500 g), onions (1 pc), garlic (3 cloves), tarragon herbs (bunch) and vegetable oil (1 tbsp). Dry ingredients are chopped in a blender, and then cooked for about 2 hours. When boiling, air comes out of the mixture, and it acquires the familiar red color. After that add salt, pepper, oil, stir and serve.
Espagnole
Entered the map of sauces in French cuisine under Louis XIII. This interesting and complex recipe requires time and attention. To make it you need: veal (500 gr), carrots (2 pcs.), onions (2 pcs.), garlic (4 cloves), celery (2 pcs.), dry white wine (500 ml), olive oil, flour (2 tablespoons), veal on the bone for broth (500 gr).
Boil a broth of veal on the bone with onions, carrots and celery. After boiling, salt and pepper it, then simmer for another hour. While the broth is boiling, cut the veal and vegetables into large chunks, put them into a saucepan with a thick bottom, season with olive oil and put it in the preheated oven for half an hour. In the middle of the process you need to stir the contents of the pan. Then take it out, sprinkle it with flour, stir it, and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes. After putting the pot on the fire, pour the wine into it, stir it thoroughly and evaporate the liquid for 30 minutes. Then pour the finished broth and simmer for at least three hours. When the sauce thickens, remove it from the heat, strain, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve it with veal and other meat dishes.