Sauce Béchamelbrbr
Abrmilk-based sauce thickened with a white roux and flavored with onion pique andbra pinch of nutmeg
brbr
- 2 oz unsalted butter
- 2 oz flour
- 1 qt milk
- ½ peeled onion studded withbrcloves; bay leaf (onion pique — the bay leaf is attached to the onion by abrclove.)
brbr
1. Measure out the butter, flour,brand milk. (Note: There is quite a lot of room for adjustment in thebrquantity of milk. For a very thick, sticky béchamel, use about 3½ cups. For abrmuch looser, more liquid sauce, use 4½ cups or even more to get the consistencybryou want.)
brbr
2. Warm the milk in a separatebrsaucepan with the onion pique and set aside.
brbr
3. Place the butter in a heavybrsaucepan over medium heat and melt it completely, but do not let it brown.brAdd the flour and stir it quickly into the butter.
brbr
4. Cook and stir the flour and butterbrmixture over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes until it reaches thebrconsistency of wet sand and smells like cookie dough. Do not let it brown orbrdarken; we are creating a pale roux, where the flour has been just barely cooked.brPour in a few tablespoons of the hot milk, just enough to moisten the flour andbrbutter mixture. Stir thoroughly to loosen up the thick flour mixture.
brbr
5. Now use a whisk to gradually addbrthe rest of the milk to the loosened flour mixture, whisking constantly untilbrsmooth. Simmer gently and stir occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes, being carefulbrnot to scorch the sauce.
brbr
6. Adjust the seasoning with salt,brwhite pepper, and nutmeg, and thin the sauce with milk if it’s too thick. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer.
brbr
brbr
Sauce Espagnole (brown sauce)
Abrbrown, fortified veal stock sauce
- 4 Tbsp butter
- ½ cup flour
- 4 cups brown stock
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ¼ lb mirepoix (½ cupbronion, ¼ cup celery, ¼ cup carrot, all finely diced)
- Bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, and bay leaf tied together)
brbr
1. Melt the butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, thenbradd flour. Mix well and cook to desired color, stirring constantly to preventbrburning. This may take some minutes. It should be well browned but not burned.brYou will notice the color change from yellow to tan to nut brown.
brbrbrbr
Note:brAt this point, the famous French Chef Auguste Escoffier chilled his roux to bebrused at a later date. He then tempered the rue with a little stock beforebradding it back in and continuing with making the stock.
brbr
2. To continue with the recipe without chilling the roux, slowly ladlebrin the stock, a little at a time, whiskingbrto keep lumps from forming. Add all the stock and whisk until smooth. Add thebrtomato paste and mix well. Then add the mirepoix and bouquet garni.
brbr
3.Partially cover and simmer on lowbrfor 2 to 3 hours. Check to see if it needs skimming periodically.
brbr
4. If the sauce thickens too much,brthin with a little more stock. The sauce should lightly coat the back of abrspoon. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Strain thebrstock through a sieve to remove the vegetables and herbs.
brbr
brbr
Sauce Velouté
brbr
Abrwhite stock-based sauce, thickened with a roux or a liaison, a mixture of egg yolks and cream
brbr
- 8 oz butter
- 9 oz flour
- 5 qts white veal stock, at room temperaturebr(use Basic White Stock)
- ¼ lb button mushrooms, sliced
- Salt to taste
- Pinch white pepper
brbr
1. First make a blond roux: overbrlow heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, untilbrit’s a pale golden color. Adjust butter or flour if necessary.
brbr
2. Combine 4 quarts of stock andbrthe roux, and whisk together until there are no lumps. Add mushrooms, salt, andbrwhite pepper. Whisk to combine and then simmer on low heat for one and a halfbrhours. Scoop off any scum that surfaces. Add some water to keep the sauce frombrgetting too thick if necessary.
brbr
3. Strain through cheesecloth intobranother saucepan. Add the remaining stock and allow the sauce to cool. Itbrshould thicken a little as it cools.
brbr
brbr
Sauce Hollandaise
brbr
Anbremulsion of egg yolk, butter, and lemon or vinegar
brbr
- Pinch salt
- ¼ tsp mignonette pepper (crushedbrvery fine)
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 4 Tbsp water
- 5 Tbsp water divided
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 lb clarified butter
- Drop of lemon juice
brbr
1. Put the salt, mignonette pepper,brvinegar, and water in a small saucepan and reduce by three-quarters. Move thebrsaucepan to double boiler and add 1 Tbsp cold water and the yolks. Beat with abrwhisk until the yolks thicken and have a consistency between heavy cream andbrmayonnaise. Then remove the pot and gradually pour the butter on the yolksbrwhile briskly stirring the sauce.
brbr
2. When the butter is absorbed, thebrsauce ought to be thick and firm. It is brought to the correct consistency withbra little water, which also lightens it slightly, but the addition of water isbroptional. The sauce is completed by a drop of lemon juice and rubbed through abrfine-mesh sieve.
brbr
brbr
Tomato Sauce
brbr
Tomatobrbased (about 2 quarts) brbr
- 2 oz salt pork, diced
- 2 cups onions, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 (28-oz) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 ham bone
- 1 qt veal or chicken stock
- Bouquet garni*
- Kosher salt to taste
- Sugar to taste
brbr
*For the bouquet garni:
brbr
- 1 bay leaf½ tsp dried thyme
- 3–4 fresh parsley stems
- 8–10 black peppercorns, crushed
brbr
Tie the ingredients into abrcheesecloth sack using a piece of kitchen twine.
brbr
1. Preheat oven to 300° .
brbr
2. In a heavy, oven-safe Dutch oven,brrender the salt pork over low heat until the fat liquefies. Add the onions,brcarrots, celery, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until the onion isbrtranslucent but not brown. Add the tomatoes, ham bone, stock, and the bouquetbrgarni. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer the pot to the oven. Simmer in thebroven, partially covered, for two hours.
brbr
3. Remove from oven. Remove bouquetbrgarni and ham bone, and purée sauce in a blender or food processor untilbrsmooth, working in batches if necessary. Season to taste with Kosher salt and abrsmall amount of sugar—just enough to cut the acid of the tomatoes. Serve hot.brIf not serving the sauce right away, keep it covered and warm until you’rebrready to use it.
View Print Edition