SAUCES: This is an explanation in the basics of the different types of sauces one comes upon in cook books and possibly in restaurant menus.

BASIC METHODS OF SAUCE-MAKING:

Savoury sauces fall into categories according to the method of making them:

1. Roux  sauces

2. Egg-thickened sauces & butter sauces, made with a mixture of eggs and butter

3. Sweet sauces

4. Reduction sauces

1.   ROUX sauces---a roux sauce is one made from cooking flour in butter/fat over heat, and the liquid ingredients added to it. The roux can be cooked to three stages: a/  very little cooking to result in "white roux", with milk &/or cream added to become cream sauces, b/ little more cooking to become pale-straw coloured roux for veloute sauce, or c/  more cooking to result in darker-colour roux, as in brown sauce. Brown sauce is a misnomer, as the roux should not be cooked that long, or be allowed to become darker than "sand" coloured, or to be burnt. By adding a dark coloured liquid, such as strong beef or veal stock, and sometimes, red wine or tomato puree, a "brown-coloured sauce" is achieved

The essential thing in making a roux, no matter what colour, is to cook the flour enough so that the starch grains, contained in the flour, burst and absorb the butter/fat completely, so there is no raw starch taste. Care must be taken to ensure the flour is well combined with the butter/fat, and the roux should be cooked over a gentle heat before the liquid and flavourings are added.

Examples of roux sauces:

A/   White sauce—made with butter, flour and milk

Bechamel sauce—made with flour, butter, milk, with vegetables like carrots, onion and celery added.

B/   Veloute sauce is made with chicken stock, with or without white wine added.

C/   Brown sauces:

Espagnole sauce, or demi-glace-- made with beef stock with other added ingredients

Bordelaise sauce--red wine added to Espangnole sauce

Chasseur sauce--white wine added to Espagnole sauce

Italienne sauce—Marsala wine, tomatoes are added to Espagnole sauce Madeira sauce—Madeira wine added.

2.   EGG-THICKENED sauces---these are sauces made with a mixture of eggs and butter, preferably with clarified butter made by melting butter and reserving the oil part from the top and discarding the milky sediment. The most common example of this type of sauce is the Hollandaise sauce which has many uses, and the Bearnaise sauce.

3/   SWEET sauces can be made with puree fruits which is then sweetened, or chocolate which has been melted, or eggs, egg yolks and milk, as in custard or vanilla sauce.

4.    REDUCTION sauces are made by boiling sauce liquid, uncovered, over moderate heat, until liquid is reduced to 1/3 or half its original volume.