Understanding Sauce

A sauce is a liquid with flavor; it is usually thickened by a thickening agent. They are used to
season, flavor and to accentuate the flavors on a 
dish. They also add:

 Humidity
 Flavor
 It enriches foods
 Appearance (adds color and texture)
  Interest (to the person who is eating the dish)

The Structure of a sauce

The most common sauces are made from 3 types of ingredients:

1. Liquid, the liquid is the body of a sauce (1st layer of flavor). There are 5          different
types of liquid or layers to start a sauce.

 White stock
 Brown stock
 Milk
 Tomato and stock
 Clarified butter.

2. Thickening agent, (the sauce needs to stick to the food), there different types
of thickening agents:

 Roux = 50% fat (butter) + 50% flour

 Starch (vegetables, potatoes, bread, grains)
 Cornstarch

3. Seasonings and additional flavorings (2nd layer of flavor).

 Mirepoix = 50% onions, 25% celery, 25% carrots

 Onion piquet = ½ onion, bay leaf, cloves
 Bouquet garni = any type of vegetables or herbs tied together and used to flavor dishes.
 Sachet bag = a bag made out of cheesecloth, filled with herbs and spices, to create a
bag and add to a flavor to the dish. This is 
used when the chef does not want to see the herb in the finished dish.

Procedure:

1. In a medium sauce pot heat the milk, onion piquet at a simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Make a white roux with butter and flour.
3. Remove the onion piquet from the sauce and discard.
4. Add the roux slowly mixing constantly with a hand mixer. Boil (the roux needs to boil so it can start 
thickening the sauce) then lower the temperature to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Taste and season.
6. Strain the sauce and use.

For each of the following recipes you will need 1 Qt of béchamel sauce.
Crème sauce:  4 – 8 Oz of heavy cream, 1 Tsp nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Mornay sauce: 4 Oz Gruyere cheeses, 2 Oz Parmesan cheese, mix until the cheese melts. Finish 
the sauce away from the heat with 2Oz butter, if the sauce is too thick you may add hot milk or 
Crème.

Cheddar cheese sauce: 8 Oz cheddar cheese, ½ tbsp mustard powder, 2Oz Parmesan cheese, ½ 
tbsp clarified butter and ½ Tsp Worcestershire sauce.

Salsa Soubise: 1 # onions cut into small dice and slightly cooked (the onions can not be browned) 
and 2 Oz of clarified butter. Cook for 15 minutes at a simmer, strain and serve.

Procedure:

1. Melt the butter in a medium size sauce pot, add the flour blend well and cook until a roux is 
created (the color of the roux will depend on the color of the sauce).
2. Add the stock gradually, mixing constantly with a hand mixer (it is important to incorporate well 
the roux and stock, this will make a better sauce).
3. Reduce the sauce by half (2 qt) cook for about 1 hour.
4. Drain and serve.

For each of the following recipes you will need 1 Qt of Veloute sauce.

White wine sauce: The stock for the veloute of this sauce should be made from fish. Reduce 8 Oz of 
white wine, 8 Oz heavy cream, 2 Oz butter, salt, pepper and lemon juice by half.

Supreme sauce: The stock for the veloute of this sauce should be made from chicken. Combine 1 Pt 
heavy cream, 2 Oz butter, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Paulette: Cook 8 Oz mushrooms in 2Oz of butter and season. Add the veloute and just before service 
add 2 Oz of Italian parsley and lemon juice to taste.

Mushroom sauce: Cook 4 Oz of mushrooms in 1 Oz of butter, add 1 Tsp of lemon juice add these 
ingredients to a finished white wine sauce.

Herbs sauce: Add your favorite spices and herbs to a white wine sauce.

For each of the following recipes you will need 1 Qt of Tomato sauce.
Portuguese sauce: heat 1 tbsp of oil and cook 4 Oz of onions for 3 minutes. Add 1 # of tomato 
concase and 1 tbsp of fresh crushed garlic. Cook the sauce till it reduces by half, add the tomato 
sauce, season and sprinkle with 2 to 4 tbsp of fresh Italian parsley.

Spanish sauce: Heat 1 tbsp of oil and cook 6 Oz of onions, 4 Oz of green pepper in small dice, 1 
crushed garlic clove, cook for 5 minutes. Add 4 Oz of sliced bottom mushrooms sliced and cook for 5 
minutes, add the tomato sauce.

Creolle sauce: Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a medium size sauce pot, add 4 Oz onions in small dice, 2 Oz 
green peppers small dice, 1 tbsp of crushed garlic, 1 bay leaf, pinch of dried thyme, ½ lemon zest, 
cook for 10 minutes and add tomato sauce, season and serve.

Procedure:

1. In a food processor while its running add eggs, water, lemon juice, pepper and Tabasco sauce. 
Blend for 5 minutes.
2. In a small sauce pot heat the butter to 175ºF.
3. With the food processors running add the butter slowly, taste and season.

Procedure:

1. In a large sauce pot heat 1 tbsp of butter and cook the mirepoix for 5 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the butter and flour and cook for 10 minutes to create a brown roux.
3. Add the stock and tomato pure, mix well, boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer, add 
the sachet bag and cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Remove grease build up from the surface of the 
sauce and discard.
4. Strain the sauce and serve.

For each of the following recipes you will need 1 Qt of Espanol sauce.

Demi-glaze- 1 Qt of brown stock and reduce the sauce by half, strain and serve.

Whine merchant – Reduce 6 Oz white wine and 2 Oz shallots. Add 1 Qt of demiglaze and cook for 1 
hour, strain and serve.

Mushroom sauce – Heat 2 Oz of butter and cook 2 Oz mushrooms for 5 minutes, add 1 Qt of 
demiglaze and cook at a simmer for 20 minutes. Add 2 Oz of sherry and a few drops of lemon juice, 
season and serve.

Deviled – Reduce 8 Oz of white wine, 4 Oz of shallots, ½ tbsp of pepper. Add 1 Qt of demiglaze and 
cook at a simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne pepper, strain and serve.

1. Heat the oil in medium size sauce pot. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes at a simmer.
2. Add the mirepoix and cook but don’t brown.
3. Add the tomato pure, tomatoes, sachet bag, sugar, salt and stock. Cook for 1 – 2 ½ hours.
4. Strain the sauce and serve.
 Amount Ingredients Cut or
Description

9 egg yolks  
3 Oz water warm
1 Oz lemon juice
to taste cayanne pepper  
1 tbs salt  
1/4 tbs white pepper  
to taste tabasco sauce  
24 Oz butter melted

There are 5 mother sauces; they are called this because we can create many sauces if we use these
sauces as our bases. They can be used in 
different combinations to create a new sauce. To create these new sauces first cook the mother sauce
and then add the ingredients listed on the 
combination list that is after every mother sauce recipe.
Amount Ingredients Cut or
Description

1 onion piquet 1/2 onion, bay leaf, 2 cloves

1 gt milk for a richer sauce you may use

heavy cream

4 Oz flour all purpose

4 Oz butter  
to taste Salt and pepper white pepper
to taste nutmeg  
Amount Ingredients Cut or
Description

4 Oz butter  
4 Oz flour all purpose
1 gt white stock chicken
to taste salt and pepper  
Amount Ingredients Cut or
Description

4 Oz bacon  
4 Oz mirepoix onion 50% , celery 25%
carrots 25%

1 gt tomatoes large dice

1 gt tomato pure can
1 1/2 tbsp salt  
1 tbsp sugar  
 1 gt white stock de pollo,  carne o cerdochichen
1 tbsp pork bones baked for 15 min at 400F

SATCHET    

  thyme  
  bay leaf  
  garlic clove  
  pepper  
  parsley  
Amount Ingredients Cut and/or
Description

1 Lb mirepoix 50% onion, 25% celery,

25% carrot

5 Oz butter  
5 Oz flour all porpuse,
2 Qt brown stock  
4 Oz tomato pure  
A gusto salt and pepper  
Satchet    

  thyme  
  pepper  
  bay leaf  
  parsley  
The recipes are written in a new form, it is a chart that divides the recipes into three categories. 1. Your mise en
place with out having to reed the procedures on the 
recipe.

1. In column number one Amount, it provides you with the amount of the ingredient needed in the recipe.
2.In column number two Ingredients, it provides you the name of the ingredient needed for the recipe.

3.In column number three Cut and/or description, it provides you with the cut of the ingredient needed for the
recipe and also any relevant information of the 
ingredient (fresh, canned, drained, cooked, etc.

mother sauces, secret sauce, cheddar sauce, mushroom sauce, veloute, primo sauce, espanole, criolle sauce, bechamel,
tomato sauce,mother sauces,stock,sauce,spanish sauce,creolle 
sauce,flavor,roux,bechamel,espanole,hollandase,veloute,sachet bagmother sauces, secret sauce, cheddar sauce,
mushroom sauce, veloute, primo sauce, espanole, criolle sauce, bechamel, tomato 
sauce

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