Eighteenth century French chef Marie-Antoine Carême devised an intricate methodology to classify hundreds of sauces under one of five mother sauces: velouté, espagnole; hollandaise, tomate, and bechamel. From this handful of origin sauces, dozens and dozens of sauces follow. A bit of tomato dolloped into velouté rechristens it as aurore, the tweak of tarragon and an acid swap transform hollandaise into punchy béarnaise, and so on.
Sauces stand the test of time because they transform a dish. When executed correctly, they can make it far superior. Game-changing sauce recipes don’t have to be long, hard or complicated. Improve your cooking by mastering three workhorse sauces: bechamel, also known as white sauce; old-fashioned Southern-style gravy; and ganache, or chocolate sauce. With this trio of simple concepts in your back pocket, you open a world of possibilities.
Sauce bechamel is made by stirring heated milk into a butter-flour roux. The thickness of the sauce depends on the proportion of flour and butter to milk. The proportions for a thin sauce are 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour per 1 cup of milk; a medium sauce uses 2 tablespoons each of butter and flour; and a thick sauce, 3 tablespoons of both.
Examples using a thin bechamel include a spread on a classic croque-monsieur, queso or cheese dip. Thick bechamel is the base for a savory soufflé. The recipe here, broccoli casserole, uses a medium bechamel as the base.
Once we add cheese, it is no longer known as sauce bechamel, but instead as sauce mornay. In this recipe for broccoli casserole with sauce mornay, the broccoli is the recipient of the rich, cheesy, sauce. The same mornay would cascade equally well over blanched cauliflower florets, cubes of par-cooked root vegetables, or tender macaroni noodles.
The second must-know workhorse sauce, gravy, resembles velouté. Both are starch-thickened sauces, made from stock stirred into a butter-flour roux.
Gravy is very often the resulting benefit of searing meats. Protein is coated with flour and seared in fat. The drippings, or brown bits in the pan, form the flavor backbone and help thicken the sauce.
Braising normally suggests short ribs, pot roast or beef stew, but the technique can also be used for cooking dishes that take shorter cooking times, like this recipe for pork chops with onion gravy, a country classic. Braising joins the power of both dry and wet heat: a hot sear followed by gentle cooking in a flavorful, aromatic broth that makes its own gravy. The pork chops are dusted in seasoned flour, a sauce is made, and the meat simmers in the gravy in the oven.
It’s important to note that you can use all-purpose or white whole wheat flour for starch-thickened sauces, if gluten is not a concern. Chickpea flour (aka “besan” if you are shopping at an Indian market) or garbanzo fava bean flour, a product made by Bob’s Red Mill, may also be used if you prefer a gluten-free dish.
The last of the trio of workhorse sauces is chocolate ganache, a mixture of chocolate and cream. The exquisite beauty of ganache is that it can be thick and creamy, performing as the luscious interior of a decadent chocolate truffle, or whisper thin and used as a glaze. It can be chilled and whipped into a fluffy frosting or as a thick, rich sauce for fruit or ice cream.
Carême’s concept of mother sauces is built on the idea of a cook’s body of skills. Pork chops with onion gravy, broccoli casserole with sauce mornay, and chocolate ganache are the foundation of a modern repertoire for the home cook — trustworthy, versatile, and, above all, delicious.
Virginia Willis is an Atlanta-based Food Network Kitchen chef, James Beard Award-winning food writer and cookbook author. Follow her at virginiawillis.com.
RECIPES
Open up a world of cooking possibilities by mastering the simple, versatile techniques used to make the sauces in these recipes.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Pork Chops with Onion Gravy
Pork chops are an excellent choice for a 30-minute skillet supper. You could also swap out chops for chicken thighs or chicken breasts. When making protein adjustments, the key is to remove the meat when it is cooked, and adjust the consistency of the gravy separately.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Broccoli Casserole with Sauce Mornay
Warming the milk in this recipe is essential to prevent lumps from forming. The bouquet garni of fresh herbs and peppercorns in this recipe doesn’t require a cheesecloth sachet since you are straining the milk, and it can be as simple as a few stems of parsley. And, if pressured for time or energy, unlike heating the milk, it can be omitted.
The amount of starch in the sauce is best suited for a semi-firm cheese such as Swiss or Gruyere, but cheddar may be used, as well.
Credit: Virginia Willis
Credit: Virginia Willis
Chocolate Ganache
At its most simple, chocolate ganache is a one-to-one ratio of chocolate and heavy cream. This is perhaps the ultimate must-know sauce. Serve sliced fruit, berries, or even store-bought cookies with a bowl of chocolate ganache for dipping and prepare to receive the accolades.
Vegan or plant-based chocolate ganache is possible! Simply use a plant-based heavy cream or a thicker plant-based milk such as a barista blend and vegan chocolate.
Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
