Techniques of cooking with sauces

[RoboCop]

I generally like to make milk-based sauces with an aciditic touch (balsamic viniger, tamatoes, etc) with the natural flavours of the main ingrediant.

So what do you like to do when creating a sauce? Simple approach? Experiment? Any particular one you like? Bascially this is just a thread to discuss sauces =).

[luvs]

i love to make a hollandaise... i can make a mean one, yummmmmmmmmmm....... i dip green beans in it....
i'm great at cheese sauce, too, a roux-based one.mmm-mmmmm!

[RoboCop]

Originally Posted by luvs_food

i love to make a hollandaise... i can make a mean one, yummmmmmmmmmm....... i dip green beans in it....
i'm great at cheese sauce, too, a roux-based one.mmm-mmmmm!

Interesting, never considerd dipping green beans in hollandaise.

[GB]

I love sauces, but I am not good at making them. I have tried to make my own and always end up with a mess that does not taste good. Sauces are one thing I really need to learn how to make better.

I am moving this thread to the Sauces, Marinades, Rubs section of the board as it would fit better there.

[marmalady]

I love making sauces - any kind - but there are so many different ones - cooked, uncooked, reduction, etc - are you thinking of a particular technique?

I've just 'mastered' a buerre blanc using a recipe by Tyler Florence; he incorporates a bit of cream into the sauce, and it really does help to stabilize it.

Classic Beurre Blanc: White Butter Sauce
Copyright 2000 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

1/3 cup champagne vinegar
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped chives
In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine vinegar, wine, shallots, lemon, and bay leaves to make an infusion. Simmer over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until the mixture is reduced to a wet paste, about 2 tablespoons. Add the cream and continue to simmer until reduced again to about 2 tablespoons. Cream is added to make the sauce more stable and less likely to separate.
Reduce the heat to low and remove the bay leaves. Whisk in the chunks of butter in small batches. The butter should melt without the sauce getting too hot, producing a creamy emulsified sauce. Do not let the sauce go over 130 degrees F, where it will separate. If the sauce starts to break, remove from heat, add 2 ice cubes and whisk until it cools down and comes back together. Season with salt and pepper, fold in the chives, and serve immediately. Keep covered in a warm place for a few hours, if needed.
Serve with fish or vegetables.
Yield: 1 cup

Made this for softshell crabs at Christmas, and added tarragon and capers - yum!

[RoboCop]

Originally Posted by marmalady

I love making sauces - any kind - but there are so many different ones - cooked, uncooked, reduction, etc - are you thinking of a particular technique?

I've just 'mastered' a buerre blanc using a recipe by Tyler Florence; he incorporates a bit of cream into the sauce, and it really does help to stabilize it.

Classic Beurre Blanc: White Butter Sauce
Copyright 2000 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

1/3 cup champagne vinegar
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped chives
In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine vinegar, wine, shallots, lemon, and bay leaves to make an infusion. Simmer over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until the mixture is reduced to a wet paste, about 2 tablespoons. Add the cream and continue to simmer until reduced again to about 2 tablespoons. Cream is added to make the sauce more stable and less likely to separate.
Reduce the heat to low and remove the bay leaves. Whisk in the chunks of butter in small batches. The butter should melt without the sauce getting too hot, producing a creamy emulsified sauce. Do not let the sauce go over 130 degrees F, where it will separate. If the sauce starts to break, remove from heat, add 2 ice cubes and whisk until it cools down and comes back together. Season with salt and pepper, fold in the chives, and serve immediately. Keep covered in a warm place for a few hours, if needed.
Serve with fish or vegetables.
Yield: 1 cup

Made this for softshell crabs at Christmas, and added tarragon and capers - yum!

Good recepie!

are you thinking of a particular technique?

Yes and no; yes I want to know your particular techniques but: no I dont care which it is, aslong as it's about a sauce -- rather it be a sauce you made while you prepared the dish or a recepie you followed, heres a simple sauce I cooked up while making some chicken:

Needed:
2 medium sized tamatoes, a cup and 1/2 of milk (add more if it evaporates, you want this sauce to be thin before putting it into the oven), 2 table spoons balsamic viniger, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, butter, 4 skinned chicken breasts.

How to cook:
Make a butter/olive oil mixture as you would, sear chicken breasts lightly, add chopped tomatoes, milk, balsamic viniger. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Keep on medium high (yes let it boil a little, the viniger will make sure the milk wont scald) for about 5 minutes, then let simmer. Add milk to keep the sauce at it's original size. After simmering for 10 minutes put the pan into the oven and let cook for about 5-10 minutes, depending how thick you want the sauce.

Serve over rice.

Thats it! It is very very simple but I gaurentee it's very good, add your own spices to modify the taste as this recepie is very open for it.

[Leaf Storm]

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!

This is the sound I make after typing out a long post and then have the browser crash on me. Lucky I am a fast typer! :p

Here we go again...

I don't think there is really one best sauce or technique it just really depends on what you are cooking, what ingredients you have, what style and what sauce is required. Different sauces and technique are needed for different cooking styles and ingredients. You couldn't use a white sauce for everything and you wouldn't want to.

Here are a couple of links I think you may enjoy as you like sauces :)


Sauces This link contains some recipes of different sauces. It covers quite a good range of different sauce preparations and styles so you can see how to make many kinds.

History of sauce Posted this link before. It's really interesting and will give you a good idea of the different sauces to make. You can learn a lot from this link and go google for more reading.

:)

[Chef Cyril]

Sauce it's the more importante part of cooking.

I thinks, a good mayonnaise can be a great sauce with so many thinks !

The realy receipes from Dijon ( because of the mustard, of course ):

for 1/2 liter of oil ;

Break 2 yellow eggs ( normely we say 4 /liter ) in a bowl, put a spoon of vinaigar, salt and pepper, mix all and introduce same volume of mustard than yellow eggs ( that's a minimum to have a realy tasty sauce ) and than mix and oil slowly.

Don't forget to taste before dressing !

Note, the best oil is sunflower oil, because doesn't split after some time in the fridge also to have a realy hard mayonnaise and white, is good to have a cold oil!

Have a nice peace of cold chicken with it...hummm

Bonne appétit !

[Brooksy]

Always on the look out for a good mayo.

Thanks Chef , or should I say "Merci Monsieur Chef."

[Audeo]

Originally Posted by Chef Cyril

Note, the best oil is sunflower oil, because doesn't split after some time in the fridge also to have a realy hard mayonnaise and white, is good to have a cold oil!

CLICK! And now I have the explanation -- merci!

Just this week, I grabbed sunflower oil to make some mayonnaise (it wasn't intentional, but a happy accident) and we all noticed the difference in color. Had some leftover that went into the fridge, and the next day it was just as creamy as when made...and no separation. I wondered why, since homemade mayo never stays emulsified for long (in my house, at least), and now I have the explanation as to why.

Cold oil? I am going to try that simple tip ASAP!

Thank you for your insight and a warm welcome to the board, Chef Cyril!