Introduction to Sauces

1
Introduction to Sauces
Topic Learning Objective

• At the completion of this lesson, the student
  will be able to discuss the different types of
  Starches and methods of cooking and the method to
  prepare a White Sauce.

2
Sauces

• Cream or white sauce, medium sauces are used to
  bind ingredients together in scalloped meat, fish
  egg, and vegetable dishes
• Made with butter, flour, milk
• Cooked over low heat and stirred constantly
• Butter Sauces, white or cream sauces with a high
  of butter and little or no seasoning other than
  salt
• Used with green veggies, and with fish and
  shellfish
• Hollandaise Sauce
• Other Sauces
• Pizza, tomato, Creole, sweet and sour, tartar
  sauce, bar-b-que.

3
Sauces

• Standards for preparing a good sauce
• Should not over power the flavor of food it
  accompanies
• Should be of proper consistency
• Should be thoroughly cooked

4
Starches in cooking

• Used as a thickening agent.
• What are the different types of starches?
• Cornstarch
• Flour

5
Chemical Properties

• Actual thickening process caused by starch
  granules swelling up.
• The correct quantity of water (or fat) is
  necessary when adding to starches.
• Ensures correct food consistency
• Eliminates lumping
• Prevents thickened liquids from reverting to
  liquid form after cooking

6
Starch Granules

• Heating temperatures
• Cornstarch and flour mixtures start to thicken at
  144 to 162 deg F. These starches complete the
  final thickening process at 205 deg F.
• Cooking times
• Under cooking does not allow starches to reach
  their maximum thickening capability.
• Other ingredients
• High amounts of acid in food may prevent starches
  from setting and may curdle.

7
Guidelines for preparing sauces and gravies with
a Roux

• Roux is a cooked mixture of equal parts by weight
  of fat and flour
• Fat types
• Clarified butter for a finer sauce, good flavor
  (what is clarified butter?
• Margarine widely used in place of butter because
  of its lower cost, inferior flavor, not as fine a
  sauce, quality varies
• Animal fats chicken fat, beef drippings, lard,
  can be used when their flavor is appropriate to
  the soup or sauce, when properly utilized, can
  enhance flavor
• Vegetable oil and shortening not preferred
  because they add no flavor

8
Flour

• Flour thickening power depends on starch content,
  bread flour has less starch and more protein than
  cake flour
• Sometimes browned dry in the oven for use in
  brown roux, but has only one-third the thickening
  power of un-browned flour
• Produces an opaque (not allowing light to pass
  through) gel.
• Same procedures apply in cooking as in other
  starches Proper temperature, time mixing

9
Cornstarch

• Produces a product that is almost clear with a
  glossy texture, Paste is clear or translucent
  (permits light to pass through but not clearly)
• Only half as much cornstarch as flour is required
  has twice the thickening power
• Corn starch is more desirable for use in dessert
  sauces (cherry sauce, pineapple sauce, etc.) Pie
  fillings (chocolate, cherry, apple, etc.)
• Mix cornstarch in cold liquids stirring until
  smooth before adding it to a hot liquid.
• Eliminates lumping.
• Stir continuously during cooking to achieve
  maximum thickness, simmer until liquid turns
  clear and no starchy taste
• Excessive boiling will break down the starch and
  thin out the product.

10
Roux

• Ingredient Proportions A well-made roux should
  be stiff, not runny or pour able.
• Using excess fat increases the cost of roux and
  allows the excess to rise to the top of the soup
  or sauce which makes the product look and taste
  greasy.
• Preparing Roux Roux must be cooked so that the
  finished product does not have the raw starchy
  taste of the flour.

11
Roux

• WHITE ROUX Cooked for only a few minutes, just
  enough to cook out the raw taste of the flour.
  Once the white roux has a frothy, chalky,
  slightly gritty appearance the cooking is stopped
  before it begins to color. White roux is used as
  a thickening agent for products based on milk.
• BLOND ROUX Also known as a pale roux is cooked
  a little longer just until the roux begins to
  change to a slightly darker color. Blond roux is
  used for products based on white stocks and
  results in a pale ivory color for the finished
  product.
• BROWN ROUX Brown roux is cooked until it takes
  on a light brown color with a nutty aroma and has
  the consistency of beach sand. This roux is
  cooked slowly over low heat to allow easy
  browning without scorching. For a deeper brown
  roux the flour may be browned in the oven before
  adding the fat.

12
Roux

• Basic Procedure for Roux Preparation
• Melt fat.
• Add equal amounts of flour, stirring until fat
  and flour are thoroughly mixed
• Cook to require degree for white, blond, or brown
  roux.
• NOTE Cooking is done in a heavy bottomed
  saucepan on top of the stove and stirred
  constantly for even cooking. Use low heat for
  brown roux, moderate heat for white or blond
  roux.

13
Roux

• Combining roux and liquid to achieve a smooth,
  lump-free product is a skill that takes practice
  to master.
• Liquid may be added to roux, or roux may be added
  to liquid.

14
Mother Sauces

• Also called Grand Sauces. These are the five most
  basic sauces that every cook should master.
  Antonin Careme, founding father of French "grande
  cuisine," came up with the methodology in the
  early 1800's by which hundreds of sauces would be
  categorized under five Mother Sauces, and there
  are infinite possibilities for variations, since
  the sauces are all based on a few basic formulas.
  Sauces are one of the fundamentals of cooking.
  Know the basics and you'll be able to prepare a
  multitude of recipes like a professional. Learn
  how to make the basic five sauces and their most
  common derivatives. The five Mother Sauces are
• Bechamel Sauce (white)
• Veloute Sauce (blond)
• Brown (demi-glace) or Espagnole Sauce
• Hollandaise Sauce (butter)
• Tomato Sauce (red)

15
Making the Sauce from Roux Béchamel Sauce or
White Sauce

• USE A HEAVY BOTTOMED SAUCEPOT Prevent scorching
  to either the roux or the stock.
• COOL ROUX Once the roux is made remove it from
  the fire to cool slightly.
• POUR LIQUID SLOWLY Beat vigorously to prevent
  lumping. If the liquid is hot the starch will
  gelatinize quickly. If the liquid is cool it can
  be added slowly to dissolve the roux before
  adding the remaining liquid.
• BRING LIQUID TO A BOIL Continue to beat well as
  roux does not reach its full thickening power
  until near the boiling point.
• SIMMER THE PRODUCT Simmer product until all the
  starchy taste of the flour has been cooked out.
• FINISHING THE PRODUCT When product is finished,
  keep it hot or cooled for later use. Either way
  it should be covered or should have a thin film
  of butter melted on the top to prevent a skin
  formation.

16
Making the Sauce from Roux

• Proportions Of Roux To Liquid in White Sauce or
  Béchamel sauce
• Croquette A small cake of minced food, such as
  poultry, vegetables, or fish, that is usually
  coated with bread crumbs and fried in deep fat.

Use Type Fat Flour Liquid Other
Base for soups and creamed veggies Thin 1 T 1 T 1 c ¼ t. salt Dash pepper
Base for sauces, scalloped, creamed dishes Medium 2 T 2 T 1 c ¼ t. salt Dash pepper
Soufflé, croquettes Thick 3 T 4 T (¼ c.) 1 c ¼ t. salt Dash pepper
17
Cheese Sauce from White Sauce

• Cheese Sauce
• Start with medium white sauce, add 1 cup shredded
  sharp American cheese, stirring to melt
• Or add 2/3 c shredded American cheese and 2/3 c
  shredded Swiss cheese
• Add cooked pasta
• Natural cheese gives a grainy texture and stringy
  appearance, process cheese gives a smooth sauce

18
Other Thickeners

• Slurry
• A thin mixture of flour and cold water (milk)
  products made with a slurry have neither as good
  a flavor nor as fine a texture as those made with
  roux. Frequently used for gravies
• Breadcrumbs and other crumbs
• Will thicken a liquid very quickly because they
  have already been cooked, like instant starches.
  Crumbs may be used when smoothness of texture is
  not desired. A common example is the use of
  gingersnap crumbs to thicken sauerbraten gravy.

Adapted from Whatscookingamerica.net www.uscg.mil
/mlclant/KDiv/docs/RLESSON26.ppt
www.doe.in.gov/octe/facs/CAF-LessonPlanForRoux.do
c