Mother sauces are the five foundational sauces in French cuisine, first classified by chef Auguste Escoffier. They include Béchamel (milk-based with roux), Velouté (light stock with roux), Espagnole (brown stock with roux and tomatoes), Tomato Sauce (tomato-based with seasonings), and Hollandaise (butter and egg yolk emulsion). These sauces serve as the base for countless derivative sauces by adding ingredients like herbs, spices, cream, or reductions, making them essential in both classic and modern cooking. Mastering mother sauces enables chefs to craft a diverse range of flavorful dishes with rich, complex textures. Here are the different mother sauces with their derivatives are explained below.
Derivatives of Mother Sauces
- Béchamel Sauce (White Sauce): A creamy, milk-based sauce thickened with a roux (butter and flour). It is commonly used in pasta dishes, gratins and soufflés.
Derivatives of Béchamel Sauce are as under :-
| S.No. | Derivative Sauce | Ingredients |
| 1. | Mornay Sauce | Béchamel + Gruyers Cheese + Liaison |
| 2. | Cream Sauce | Béchamel + Heavy Cream |
| 3. | Mustard Sauce | Béchamel + Prepared Mustard |
| 4. | Soubise Sauce | Béchamel + Sauteed diced Onions + Heavy Cream |
| 5. | Lobster Sauce | Béchamel + Anchovy Essence + Diced Cooked Lobster Flesh + Little Cayenne Pepper |
| 6. | Oignons (Onion Sauce) | Béchamel + Chopped Onions + Fresh Cream |
2. Velouté (Velvet) Sauce : Made by thickening of light stock (chicken, fish or veal) with a roux. It has smooth, silky texture and mild flavour.
Derivatives of Velouté Sauce are as under :–
| S.No. | Derivative Sauces | Ingredients |
| 1. | Supreme Sauce | Velouté + Creme |
| 2. | Allemande or Parisienne Sauce | Velouté + Mushroom Liquor + Egg York + Grated Nutmeg + Lemon Juice |
| 3. | Normade Sauce | Fish Stock + Mushroom Liquor + Mussels Liquor + Fish Velouté + Liaison + Lemon Juice |
| 4. | Mushroom Sauce | Allemande Sauce + Mushroom (to serve with poultry) |
| 5. | Cardinal Sauce (Seafood Sauce) | Velouté + Lobster Butter + Fresh Cream |
3. Espagnole Sauce (Brown Sauce) : A rich, brown sauce made with brown stock, tomatoes, and a dark roux. It has deep, complex flavours and is often used as a base fro meat dishes.
Derivatives of Espagnole Sauces are as under :-
| S.No. | Derivative Sauces | Ingredients |
| 1. | Bigararde Sauce | Espagnole + Demi-glaze + Orange Juice + Orange Zest + Lemon Juice + Lemon Zest |
| 2. | Bordelaise Sauce | Reduction of Red Wine, Pepper Corn, Bay Leaf, Thyme, Shallots + Espagnole + Meat Glaze + Lemon + Dishes of Poached Bone Marrow |
| 3. | Bourguignone Sauce | Reduction of Red Wine, Shallots, Parsley, Bay Leaf, Thyme & Mushroom + Burre Maine + Cayenne Pepper |
| 4. | Robert Sauce | Reduction of Finely Chopped Sauteed Onions + White Wine + Demi-glace + Sugar + English Mustard |
| 5. | Demi Glaze | Equal Parts of Brown Stock and Brown Sauce Reduce to Half |
4. Tomato Sauce : A vibrant, tangy sauce made from tomatoes, herbs and aromatics. It is widely used in Italian and Mediterranean Cuisine.
Derivatives of Tomato Sauce are as under :-
| S.No | Derivative Sauces | Ingredients |
| 1. | Portugaise Sauce | Tomato Sauce + Meat Glaze + Chopped Onions + Concassed Tomatoes + Garlic + Salt + Sugar + Chopped Parsley |
| 2. | Creole Sauce | Tomato Sauce + Reduction of White Wine, Garlic & Onion + Cayenne Pepper + Strips of Red Pepper |
| 3. | Provencale Sauce | Diced Tomatoes Sauteed in Oil with Chopped Parsley + Garlic + Salt + Pepper + Sugar |
| 4. | Navarraise Sauce | Tomato Sauce + Flavoured with Garlic + Garnished with Chopped Herbs |
| 5. | Algerian Sauce | Tomato Sauce Garnished with Strips of Green or Red Bell Peppers |
5. Hollandaise Sauce (Dutch Sauce): A rich, buttery sauce made with clarified butter and egg yolk, are the foundation of a warm emulsifying sauce. It is made thicker by emulsifying melted clarified butter with a warm egg yolk “sabayon”.
Derivatives of Hollandaise Sauce are as under :-
| S.No. | Derivative Sauce | Ingredinets |
| 1. | Maltaise Sauce | Hollandaise + Juice of Blood Orange + Blanched Julienne of Orange Zest |
| 2. | Noisette Sauce | Hollandaise + Hazelnut Butter (burre de noisette) + Served with Poached Salmon & Trout |
| 3. | Mousseline Sauce | Hollandaise + Whipped Double Cream |
| 4. | Aegir Sauce | Hollandaise + Mustard Powder |
| 5. | Bavaroise Sauce | Hollandaise + Cray Fish Butter + Dices of Cray Fish Tail + Served with Fish |
6. Mayonnaise Sauce : It is an egg yolk-based cold emulsified sauce prepared with vinegar/lemon juice, oil and egg yolk. It is important to keep the components rom temperature rather than refrigerated.
Derivatives of Mayonnaise Sauce are as under :-
| S.No. | Derivative Sauces | Ingredients |
| 1. | Aiole Sauce | Mayonnaise + Pounded Garlic Clove |
| 2. | Chantilly Sauce (Cream Sauce) | Mayonnaise + Stiffly Beaten Whipped Cream (2:1) + Lime Juice |
| 3. | Verte Sauce (Green Sauce) | Mayonnaise + Puree of Blanched Spinach, Watercress & Parsley |
| 4. | Tartare Sauce | Mayonnaise Sauce + Chopped Gherkins + Chopped Herbs + Chopped Capers |
| 5. | Thousand Island | Tartare Sauce + Ketchup |
Conclusion
Mastering these mother sauces and their derivatives allows chefs tto create endless variations of flavourful sauces that enhance any dish. Whether you are making a creamy pasta, a rich steak sauce, or a tangy tomato-based dish, these sauces provide the perfect starting point.
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