A soup which is a liquid or semi-liquid preparation, adds flavour, moisture, amnd texture to a dish.
You can use a soup in many ways. These are as follows:
- Provides flavor to the dish.
- Gives moisture to the food.
- Enhances visual appearance of dish.
- Adds texture to food.
- Provides nutrition to dish.
Thickening Agents used in Sauces Preparation
- Roux: It cooks a refined wheat flour with the same amount of clarified butter . There are three types of Roux, i.e. White, Blond, & Brown Roux. The only difference in the roux is that their cooking time makes different kinds of roux.
- Slurry: It is a mixture of cornstarch / potato flour / arrowroot and water. 1 tbsp of cornstarch can thicken 1 cup of liquid, whereas 1/2 tbsp of potato four / arrowroot can thicken 1 cup of liquid.
- Burre Manie: This type of thickening agent uses an equal amount of flour and butter just as we used in roux. The only difference is that, while preparing burre-manie, we don’t supposed to cook the ingredients, but we make a paste instead of cooking.
- Liaison: Whisk together one part of egg yolk and three parts of cream to thicken the sauce. It not only thickens but also enriches the sauce.
- Blood: People used blood as a thickening agent in old times, also known as “Jugged”.
- Butter: Many sauces use butter to provide thickness. Cold butter when whisked into a hot sauce giving a shine and thickness. This is also known as “monte au beurre” i.e. mounting of suace.
Various Types of Components Used in Mother Sauce
| Sauces | Liquid | Thickening Agent | Seasoning Agent | Flavoring Agent | Ratio |
| Bechamel | Milk | White Roux | Salt & Pepper | Nutmeg & Clove | 1:1:10 |
| Veloute | Chicken Stock | Blond Roux | Salt & Pepper | Tarragon Herb, Bouquet Garni, | 1:1:10 |
| Espagnole | Brown Beef Stock | Brown Roux | Salt & Pepper | Bouquet Garni, Tomato, Red Wine | 1:1:10 |
| Tomato | Brown Stock | Brown Roux | Salt & Pepper | Tomato & Mirepoix | _____________ |
| Hollandaise | Clarified Butter | Egg Yolk | Salt, Pepper, Cayenne, Onion | Lime juice & Tarragon | 8 (egg yolk): 1 (ltr oil) |
| Mayonnaise | Oil | Egg Yolk | Salt & Pepper | Mustard Sauce | 8 (egg yolk): 1 (ltr oil) |
Mother Sauces
- Bechamel (White Sauce): The sauce consists of milk and is thickened with white roux containing equal parts of flour and butter.
- Veloute (Velvet Sauce): It is a very light colored sauce made from chicken, fish or veal stock thickened with a blond roux.
- Espagnole (Brown Sauce): Espagnole means “Spanish” in French was the original brown sauce. Thickening rich brown stock with brown roux makes the brown sauce.
- Tomato Sauce: The thickening agent in traditional French tomato sauce is butter roux. But tomato sauce is more often connected to Italian cooking, especially when it comes to pasta dishes.
- Hollandaise (Dutch Sauce): Clarified butter and egg yolk are the foundation of a warm emulsified sauce. It is made thicker by emulsifying melted clarified butter with a warm egg yolk “sabayon.”
- Mayonnaise Sauce: It is an egg yolk-based cold emulsified sauce. It is made up of vinegar or lemon juice, oil, and egg yolk. It’s important to keep the components room temperature rather than refrigerated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mother sauces form the foundation of classical French cuisine, serving as the basis for countless other sauces and dishes. These six sauces—béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, mayonnaise and tomato—each possess unique flavors and characteristics, offering versatility in culinary creations. Understanding and mastering these mother sauces provide chefs and home cooks with a solid framework for culinary experimentation and creativity, allowing them to elevate their dishes to new levels of taste and sophistication. Whether used as standalone sauces or as building blocks for more complex recipes, the importance of mother sauces in the culinary world cannot be overstated, making them essential components of any cook’s reserves.
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