•means to relish and complement foods and make them more appetizing to eat •Flavorful liquids, normally thickened, and they add flavor and excitement to a dish that is otherwise bland.

Functions of a Sauce A sauce adds the following qualities to foods:

Structure of a Sauce

Serves as the base or the body of most sauces.

Leading sauces are built on five liquid bases. White stocks (chicken, veal, or fish) are used for velouté sauces and brown stock for brown sauce or espagnole (ess-pahn-yohl). Milk is used for bechamel. Tomato plus stock is used for tomato sauce and clarified butter for hollandaise. However, not all sauces are made with liquid, others require solid ingredients such as salsa.

(chicken, veal, or fish) are used for velouté sauces.

For brown sauce or espagnole (ess-pahn-yohl).

Used for bechamel.

For hollandaise.

A good sauce must be thick but not too heavy and pasty. A sauce must be thick enough to stick lightly to the food. The French word nappe is used to describe the right texture of the sauce. It is a sauce consistency that is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon in a thin layer.

!!!!! The purpose of thickening the sauces or soups is to add consistency and texture and to help the sauce linger on the tongue.

The most commonly used thickening agents for sauces are___

When starch absorbs water, it thickens through ___

A thickening agent made from equal weight parts of flour and fat.

It is a mixture of fat and flour that is cooked for 2-3 minutes at a moderate heat

•A pale roux-also known as yellow roux or golden roux. •Has a balanced flavor and taste. It has a stronger thickening power than the brown roux.

Has less thickening power than white and blond roux because it requires more time to cook the flour in sauce making;

Three Types of Roux

Made by an equal mixture of soft raw butter and flour kneaded together to form a smooth paste. •It is generally used for quick thickening or thickening at the end of the cooking.

A mixture of equal parts of cornstarch and liquid (normally water, stock, or wine).

•A thin mixture of cold water and flour that is whisked together into a "slurry" before being added into a sauce. •This mixture is flavorless and only used to thicken a dish that needs to be served immediately.

Describes the process of thickening a sauce or soup by using a mixture of egg yolk and heavy cream that add richness and smoothness to the sauce at the end of the cooking process.

No additional thickener is added for puree. The puree itself is already thick, and that adds body and texture to the sauces. Vegetable purée, or by puréeing mirepoix, tomato paste, or other puréed or finely ground ingredients such as groundnuts, can add texture and flavor to a sauce.

Remember!!! Do not boil sauces thickened with cornstarch too long. It will break down the starch, which can result in a watery sauce.

Other Starches

Has a high cost and is obtained from several tropical plants.

handled like cornstarch •It does not break down and does not lose its thickening ability when frozen.

Rehydrate immediately in water even without heat and delivers a uniform high viscosity batter.

An economical way of thickening sauces or soups is by pulverizing or crumbling cooked wheat, such as bread, crackers, and cookies.

Dairy Products

Best used as a thickener for wine and stock-based sauces.

Finishing sauce with butter is known as ____ •that gives shine and smoothness as well as adds a rich, fresh taste of raw butter.

Must be reduced when using as thickener.

•Have lecithin that helps thicken and emulsify sauces. •It has rich flavor and offers a smooth texture; thus, it can only be achieved with proper cooking techniques.

Finishing Techniques

Essential in finishing sauces. It becomes a useful method of thickening. •The process of reducing liquid through evaporation by simmering liquid to make it thicker and silkier.

This process is used to remove any graininess produced, especially those thickened by roux.

This technique is associated with sauteing.

Liaison performs a dual role. It can be a thickening agent, yet it can also give extra richness and smoothness to the final sauce.

•The last step in any recipe.

STANDARD QUALITY FOR SAUCES

There are five leading sauces, which are sometimes called "Grand Sauces" or "Mother Sauces."

Secondary Leading Sauces and Small Sauces Most of the leading sauces are rarely served as they are (béchamel, veloute, and Espagnole); instead, adding flavoring ingredients to leading sauces can form small (derivative) sauces also known as ____. They are often used as foundations for small sauces because some leading sauces cannot directly serve as base for some of the small sauces.