Sauces, salad dressings, and garnishes

• Sauce is a seasoned thickened liquid that adds flavor to food
• Sauces can be spicy, sour, sweet, or tasty and can be added to the main dish or as an accompaniment
• Sauces are essential in cooking practices worldwide and can be used for savory dishes or desserts
• Some sauces are industrial inventions while others are freshly prepared by cooks
• Grand sauces, also known as mother sauces, include brown sauce or Espagnole, white sauce, tomato sauce, warm butter sauces, and emulsions
• Salad dressing is the sauce used to flavor a salad, examples include ranch, Thousand Island, and vinaigrette
• Basic seasonings like salt and pepper enhance the natural flavor of food without changing it
• Salt is a crystalline substance with the chemical name Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
• Pepper comes from the dried unripe berry of a climbing vine and can be white or red
• Flavor enhancers like Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) enhance flavor without bringing flavor themselves
• Spices and herbs are used to build flavors in food
• Tips in sauce preparation include adding ingredients like bones, mirepoix, mushroom trim, herbs, garlic, and shallots
• To thicken a sauce, roux, pureed mirepoix, reduction (demi-glaze), or pure starch can be used
• Finishing a sauce may involve adding wine, fortified wines, or whole butter
• Garnishes like shallots, mushrooms, and tomatoes can be added before serving
• Matching a sauce to a dish involves considering the flavor, cooking technique, and style of service
• Brown sauces are suitable for red meats
• Sauces should be kept hot and added in a way that suits the food's texture
• An appropriate portion of sauce should be served with the dish
• Sauces can dress up a dish and are usually cheaper to make than buying packaged versions
• Deglazing is a cooking technique to remove and dissolve browned food residue from a pan to make a sauce
• Steps for deglazing include moistening and scraping up the browned bits, adding liquid, boiling and stirring until reduced, and adjusting seasoning
• Reduction is the thickening and intensifying of flavor of a liquid mixture by simmering or boiling
• Reduction sauce is made by simmering or boiling a liquid like stock, sauce, wine, vinegar, fruit or vegetable juices until the desired volume is reached by evaporation
• Reduction sauce is often made with the drippings and juices left over after cooking meat, which are dense in flavor and make the sauce intense with the cooking flavors from the dish
• Common types of thickeners used in recipes without adding extra fat are starches, such as flour, tapioca, and cornstarch
• Flour is often used to make gravy or a roux:

  • Make a roux by putting 1oz. (30 ml) of butter in a saucepan on medium heat, add 1 oz. (28 g) of flour and stir well until the mixture is brown
  • The longer a roux is browned, the richer the flavor becomes
  • Take the pan off the stove, whisk vigorously, and then place it back on the heat to boil for at least 2 minutes before further use
• Bechamel sauce is a basic white sauce and one of the five mother sauces of classical cuisine:

  • Bechamel is the starting point for making other sauces like Cheddar Cheese sauce and Mornay sauce
  • Season it and serve it as is, or try making it with bacon or sausage fat for a white gravy
• Espagnole Sauce is a basic brown sauce and one of the five mother sauces of classical cuisine:

  • Espagnole is the starting point for demi-glace, a rich and deeply flavorful sauce traditionally served with red meats
• Basic components for stock making include:

  • Brown Stock made from beef or a mixture of meats including beef
  • Mirepoix, a combination of chopped carrots, celery, and onions
  • Roux, a thickening agent made from equal parts fat and flour
  • Sachet d’Epices, a small cheesecloth sack containing herbs and spices
  • How to clarify butter: melt slowly over low heat, skim the foam, and discard the milky solids
• Hollandaise sauce is a rich, lemony and buttery sauce that goes well with eggs, vegetables, and poached fish
• It is best to use pasteurized eggs when making hollandaise sauce
• Tomato sauce is a simple, fresh sauce perfect for pasta, pizza, and lasagna
• Velouté sauce is one of the five mother sauces of classical cuisine
• Salad dressings are used to lubricate and add flavor to vegetables or fruits
• Salad dressings are emulsions containing acid, fat, seasonings, and sometimes other ingredients
• Kinds of Salad Dressings:

  • Oil-based
  • Mayonnaise
  • Cooked
  • Dairy
  • Low or no-fat
• Classic Vinaigrette Recipe:

  • Whisk red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil
• Shallot-White Wine Recipe:

  • Make classic vinaigrette with white wine vinegar and minced shallot
• Roasted Garlic Recipe:

  • Roast garlic, add to classic vinaigrette with grated parmesan