CHAPTER 25
Sauces
In The Devil’s Dictionary (1911) Ambrose Bierce defined sauce as follows: “SAUCE, n. The one infallible sign of civilization and enlightenment. A people with no sauces has one thousand vices; a people with one sauce has only nine hundred and ninety-nine. For every sauce invented and accepted a vice is renounced and forgiven.”
“Sauces comprise the honor and glory of French cookery,” wrote the self-styled Prince of Gastronomy Curnonsky. “They have contributed to its superiority, or pre-eminence, which is disputed by none. Sauces are the orchestration and accompaniment of a fine meal, and enable a good chef or cook to demonstrate his talent.”
Americans generally think sauce is made with tomatoes or comes in a bottle, but sauce is traditionally made with stock, and the making of delicious broth-based sauce has a long history.
In typical fashion, the French have turned sauce making into a systematic art, one in which stock or broth serves as the central element. The basic stock-based sauce in French cuisine is the brown sauce, or sauce espagnole, made with beef or veal stock, butter browned in flour (brown roux), and tomato paste. Variations include the bordelaise (with red wine and shallots) and diable (white wine, shallots, and ground cayenne). The basic white sauce, or velouté, is made with light-colored stock (poultry or fish) and flour cooked gently in butter (a yellow roux) so that it does not brown. Variations include the allemande (with egg yolks and mushrooms) and supreme (with cream and butter).
French nouvelle cuisine uses alternatives to flour-thickened stocks, deemed old-school and too heavy, and favors lighter stocks thickened by reduction, that is, boiling off the liquid, allowing the gelatin to concentrate. These are sometimes enlivened with butter, heavy cream, or crème fraîche. Arrowroot or gelatin can also be used to thicken a reduction sauce.
The basic sauce in British and American cooking is gravy, made by cooking flour in pan drippings and then whisking in broth. While European chefs may turn their noses up at such an inelegant sauce, the principle is actually no different from the flour-based sauces of haute cuisine—flour is cooked in a fat (butter or pan drippings) and then stock is added.
There are other ways of thickening stock to make sauce. In medieval times, pureed liver or even sea urchin was used. Those on gluten-free diets have used coconut flour and almond flour. Some chefs have experimented with vegetable purees—onion pureed with stock or pan drippings works particularly well (see here).
The beauty of broth-based sauces is that they marry so well with the meat they are put on. The glycine in broth moderates the stimulating effects of the methionine in meat for a calm and balanced mental outlook (see chapter 17), and the gelatin in the sauce ensures complete digestion of the whole meal. Truly, the more sauce we eat—real sauce, made with broth—the fewer vices we will have.
Flour-Thickened Sauces
The basic principle involves cooking flour in fat—whether pan drippings or melted butter. Stock is then added slowly, using a whisk to prevent the formation of lumps. Additional ingredients, such as wine or brandy, tomato paste, or cream, can be mixed in.
For those on gluten-free diets, you can follow the directions for any flour-thickened sauce, omitting the flour, and proceeding with the recipe. At the end, thicken the sauce with 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder mixed with 1½ tablespoons water. Stir the slurry into the sauce and let it boil briefly. If the sauce needs more thickening, repeat with additional arrowroot mixed with water.
Gravy
For gravy, you need good drippings in the pan. To get there, before baking, brush whatever meat you are roasting—beef, leg of lamb, chicken, or turkey—with plenty of melted butter and put a sliced onion in the bottom of the pan. While the roast is cooking, the onion will brown in the butterfat and fat from the meat, adding a lovely dark color to the final gravy.
Serves 6 to 8
Pan drippings from a roast
¼ to ¾ cup unbleached white flour
2 to 4 cups homemade stock (see Note on here)
Sea salt
When your roast is done, remove it to a platter and keep hot in a warm oven. Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Stir the flour into the fat—start with a little and gradually add more until the fat is completely amalgamated with the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour browns (this step will prevent your gravy from tasting like raw flour).
Gently add stock as needed, whisking constantly. Strain the gravy into a saucepan to remove the onions. If the gravy is too thin, boil it down until it thickens; if it is too thick, thin it with a little water. Season with salt and serve. If not using the gravy right away, keep it covered and warm until ready to serve.
Note: The stock should match the meat you are cooking—chicken stock for roast chicken, beef or veal stock for roast beef, beef or lamb stock for leg of lamb.
Brown Sauce (Sauce Espagnole)
This basic sauce is delicious with beef, veal, or lamb.
Makes 1 quart
2 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee
1 cup diced onion
½ cup peeled and diced carrot
½ cup diced celery
2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
6 cups homemade beef or veal stock
¼ cup tomato paste
1 bouquet garni made with parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and a bay leaf, tied together with kitchen string
Melt the clarified butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat until it becomes frothy. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned, being careful not to let the vegetables burn. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the vegetables a little bit at a time until it is fully incorporated and forms a thick paste, or roux. Lower the heat and cook the roux for 5 minutes or so, stirring constantly, until it is light brown in color, again taking care not to let it burn.
Stirring with a wire whisk, slowly add the stock and then the tomato paste, whisking vigorously to remove any lumps. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low, add the bouquet garni, and simmer for about 50 minutes, until it is reduced by about one-third, stirring frequently to make sure the sauce doesn’t scorch at the bottom of the pan. Use a spoon to skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
Turn off the heat and remove the bouquet garni. For an extra-smooth consistency, pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. If not using the sauce right away, keep it covered and warm until ready to serve.
Sauce Bordelaise
As with Sauce Espagnole, Sauce Bordelaise is delicious with beef, veal, or lamb.
Makes about 5 cups
1 quart Brown Sauce (here)
1 cup red wine
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
Follow the directions for making the brown sauce; at the point when you add the stock, also add the wine.
While the brown sauce is reducing, melt the butter in the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until well browned, about 10 minutes. When the sauce is finished, stir in the sautéed mushrooms and serve. If not using the sauce right away, keep it covered and warm until ready to serve.
Sauce Diable
This makes an excellent sauce for chicken or a dipping sauce for chicken, turkey, or pork.
Makes about 2 cups
1 cup dry white wine
3 shallots, peeled and chopped
Leaves from 1 sprig fresh chervil or parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1½ cups homemade rich chicken stock
Generous pinch of ground cayenne
Sea salt
Combine the wine, shallots, and chervil in a small saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until only about 3 tablespoons of liquid remain. Strain and reserve the liquid; discard the solids.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the butter until it is fully incorporated and forms a thick paste, or roux. Lower the heat and cook the roux for 3 minutes or so, stirring constantly, until it begins to color slightly. Raise the heat to medium and gradually add the stock, whisking all the while to incorporate it, then bring to a boil and cook until a very thick sauce is formed, about 10 minutes.
Add the reserved strained wine, season with the cayenne and salt, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and serve. If not using the sauce right away, keep it covered and warm until ready to serve.
Sauce Velouté
Considered a basic sauce in classic cuisine, Sauce Velouté has many variations, including Sauce Vin Blanc (white wine sauce); Sauce Supreme (cream sauce); and Sauce Allemande (German sauce, thickened with egg yolks and cream). Note: Do not season your velouté. Velouté is always used as a foundation for other sauces to which you then add seasonings.
Makes 1 quart
5 cups homemade white stock (veal, chicken, or fish)
4 tablespoons clarified butter
4 tablespoons unbleached white flour
Heat the stock in a large saucepan over medium heat until simmering.
Meanwhile, in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the clarified butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until a lightly browned roux forms. Turn off the heat, let the roux cool slightly, then slowly whisk it into the simmering stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it reaches the “napé” stage, meaning the sauce can thinly coat the back of a spoon. If the sauce needs thinning, add a little more hot stock. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer or a strainer lined with cheesecloth and serve. If not using the sauce right away, keep it covered and warm until ready to serve.
Sauce Vin Blanc (White Wine Sauce)
Sauce Vin Blanc is a variation of Sauce Velouté based on fish stock. This sauce goes well with just about any type of fish or seafood dish.
Makes 1 quart
½ cup dry white wine
1 quart Sauce Velouté (here) made with fish stock, simmering
½ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
2 tablespoons butter
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
Fresh lemon juice
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the wine to a boil. Reduce by half and add to the Sauce Velouté. Boil the velouté gently until it reduces and reaches the “napé” stage, meaning the sauce can thinly coat the back of a spoon. If the sauce needs thinning, add a little more hot stock.
Before adding the cream to the sauce, it needs to be tempered, that is, brought up to a temperature similar to that of the sauce: Place the cream in a bowl and whisk in a spoonful of the hot sauce. Repeat several times until the cream is warmed, then whisk the cream-sauce mixture into the sauce.
Just before serving, stir in the butter until melted and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer or a strainer lined with cheesecloth and serve. If not using the sauce right away, keep it covered and warm until ready to serve.
Sauce Supreme
Sauce Supreme is a very simple variation of Sauce Velouté based on chicken broth. This sauce is traditionally served with poached or steamed chicken or any delicately flavored poultry dish.
Makes 1 quart
1 quart Sauce Velouté (here) made with chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
2 tablespoons butter
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
Fresh lemon juice
Pour the Sauce Velouté into a large saucepan, place over medium heat, bring to a simmer, and simmer until reduced by one-quarter.
Before adding the cream to the sauce, the cream needs to be tempered, that is, brought up to a temperature similar to that of the sauce: Place the cream in a bowl and whisk in a spoonful of the hot sauce. Repeat several times until the cream is warmed, then whisk the cream-sauce mixture into the sauce.
Stir in the butter until melted and season with salt, white pepper, and lemon juice. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer or strainer lined with cheesecloth and serve. If not using the sauce right away, keep it covered and warm until ready to serve.
Sauce Allemande
Sauce Allemande is another simple sauce, this time based on Sauce Velouté made with veal stock. It’s perfect sauce with veal scaloppine or veal chops.
Makes 1 quart
1 quart Sauce Velouté (here) made with veal stock
2 egg yolks
½ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
Fresh lemon juice
Pour the Sauce Velouté into a large saucepan, place over medium heat, bring to a simmer, and simmer until reduced by one-quarter.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the cream. Before adding the cream–egg yolk mixture to the sauce, it needs to be tempered, that is, brought up to a temperature similar to that of the sauce: Whisk in a spoonful of the hot sauce. Repeat several times, until the cream–egg yolk mixture is warmed, then whisk the mixture into the sauce.
Season with salt, white pepper, and lemon juice. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer or strainer lined with cheesecloth and serve. If not using the sauce right away, keep it covered and warm until ready to serve.
Wow Wow Sauce
The French have many variations on the basic flour-thickened sauce. Here is an English variation; its surprising ingredients have amused many food commentators. Wow Wow Sauce is traditionally served with roast beef.
Makes about 2 cups
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1 cup homemade beef stock
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared English mustard
1 tablespoon port wine
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
6 pickled walnuts (see Sources, here), or 3 gherkins, finely diced
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the flour is completely amalgamated into the butter and has turned slightly brown.
Slowly pour in the stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Add the vinegar, mustard, and port and simmer until the sauce reaches the consistency of heavy cream, then stir in the parsley and pickled walnuts or gherkins. Heat through for another minute or so and serve hot. If not using the sauce right away, keep it covered and warm until ready to serve.
Reduction Sauces
Reduction sauces are thickened by the process of boiling to reduce the liquid in a stock; as the water portion evaporates, the remaining gelatin thickens the sauce.
You can start with stock that has already been boiled down; this is called demi-glace or fumet. Thin with water to achieve the desired consistency.
When boiling down a large amount of stock, you may wish to avoid boiling away most of the liquid by thickening it with a little unflavored gelatin (we recommend Great Lakes brand). Mix 2 teaspoons with about ½ cup of boiling stock and stir until dissolved and whisk into the stock. This step may be repeated for further thickening. Note, though, that the more gelatin you add, the less flavorful the final sauce will be.
You can also thicken a reduction sauce with arrowroot powder. Mix 1 tablespoon arrowroot with 1½ tablespoons water and stir into the boiling or simmering reduction sauce. This may be repeated if further thickening is needed.
Red Wine Sauce
Red wine sauce is delicious with roast beef or beef tenderloin. This sauce simmers away for many hours as the thin beef stock reduces to a thick sauce. The amount of sauce you end up with depends on the gelatin level in the stock—very gelatinous stock will thicken faster as the liquid evaporates, leaving you with more sauce.
Makes 2 to 3 cups
2 quarts homemade beef or veal stock
2 cups red wine
1 tablespoon red currant jelly (optional)
Sea salt if needed
Combine the stock and wine in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer throughout the day, from 4 to 8 hours depending on the amount of gelatin in the stock, occasionally skimming any scum that rises to the surface. The sauce is ready when it coats a wooden spoon. Stir in the optional red currant jelly and season with salt if needed.
White Wine Sauce
As with the Red Wine Sauce (here), stock simmers for several hours until it reduces to a thick sauce.
Makes 1 to 2 cups
2 quarts thin homemade chicken broth or 1 quart rich chicken stock
1 cup white wine
Sea salt if needed
Combine the stock and wine in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer throughout the day, anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the amount of gelatin in the stock, occasionally skimming any scum that rises to the surface. The sauce is ready when it coats a wooden spoon. Season with salt if needed.
Mustard Cream Sauce
Makes 1½ cups
1 cup White Wine Sauce (above)
½ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
Heat the White Wine Sauce in a small saucepan until hot.
Mix the cream and mustard in a small heatproof bowl. Slowly add the hot White Wine Sauce, whisking constantly. Return the sauce to the pan, bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce it further.
Sauce Lyonnaise
This reduction sauce is often served with leftover meats.
Makes 2 cups
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not colored. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, then stir in the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 45 minutes. Strain and serve.
Miscellaneous Sauces
Gluten-Free Sauce Thickener
Kay Siefken, Bellingham, Washington
This ingenious recipe can be used by those who are avoiding all grains, flours, starches, and thickeners (including arrowroot powder). Add it to stock to create a sauce with whatever thickness you desire. Use drippings for a thick gravy-like sauce and stock for a thinner sauce.
Makes about 1½ cups
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup pan drippings from a roast, or 1 cup homemade stock
Boil the onion in water until soft, about 30 minutes; strain through a strainer. Combine the onion and pan drippings in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a little at a time to sauces to thicken to desired consistency.
Chilaquile Sauce
Serve this Mexican-style sauce over scrambled eggs with tortilla chips, grated cheese, and chopped cilantro. Chopped avocado makes a nice garnish.
Judy Griffin, Sunnyvale, California
Makes about 2 cups
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 to 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and chopped (optional)
About 2 cups homemade chicken broth
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Combine the onion, tomatoes, and optional jalapeños in a large saucepan and add enough chicken broth to cover. Place over medium heat, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the ingredients are softened. Transfer to a blender, add salt and pepper to taste and the cilantro, and blend until well combined.
Curry Sauce
Makes 2 cups
4 tablespoons ghee
1 to 2 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup homemade chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
Sea salt
Melt the ghee in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the curry powder. Add the stock and bring to a boil, whisking until smooth. Gradually stir in the cream, return to a boil, and gently boil until reduced by about half. Remove from heat, season with salt, and serve.
Parsley Butter Sauce
Makes about 1 cup
3 tablespoons minced shallot or green onion
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup homemade fish, chicken, or beef stock
½ cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
Sea salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Combine the shallot, vinegar, wine, stock, and cream in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, and reduce by about half to thicken the sauce. Reduce the heat and whisk in the butter and mustard. Season with salt and stir in the parsley just before serving.
Enchilada Sauce
Making enchilada sauce is easy when you start with ground chiles.
Makes about 2 quarts
½ cup lard
6 ounces ground New Mexico chile (see Sources, here)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 quart homemade beef or chicken stock, heated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 (7-ounce) jars tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup maple syrup
Sea salt
Melt the lard in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Stir in the ground chile and cumin to make a thick paste. Slowly add the stock, whisking constantly. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, and maple syrup, bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and thickened. Season with salt and serve.
Shrimp Sauce
Makes about 2 cups
Combine the stock and cream in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat, bring to a simmer, and simmer until the sauce thickens to the consistency of cream. Remove from the heat, stir in the sherry, and season with salt and serve.
Marbella Sauce
Three Stone Hearth Community Supported Kitchen, Berkeley, California
This sauce is a classic for chicken, with an intriguing combination of sweet, salty, and tart flavors. Use it to braise chicken parts, or heat up leftover roasted chicken in the sauce for a great change of pace. It’s also good over rice and on fish or lamb.
Makes about 4 cups
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
½ cup capers, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
½ cup pitted green olives, cut in half
4 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed through a garlic press
¼ cup dried oregano
6 bay leaves
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups homemade chicken broth
¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
½ cup pitted prunes, finely minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the prunes, capers, and olives and stir thoroughly. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and bay leaves. Add the wine, bring to a simmer, and simmer until the wine has mostly evaporated. Add the broth and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and add the parsley and minced prunes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Puttanesca Sauce
Three Stone Hearth Community Supported Kitchen, Berkeley, California
This is a broth-based version of a classic Italian sauce. It is typically served on pasta but is also delicious over rice, polenta, summer squash, roasted eggplant, chicken, meatballs, or fish.
Makes about 1 quart
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced anchovy fillets (about 8 fillets)
½ teaspoon red chile flakes, or to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup tomato puree
2 cups homemade beef broth
1 cup tightly packed pitted and halved Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons drained capers
½ cup minced fresh parsley
Sea salt
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, anchovies, and chile flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, tomato puree, and broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. Add the olives and capers and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt.
Coconut Tikka Masala Sauce
Three Stone Hearth Community Supported Kitchen, Berkeley, California
This is a dairy-free version of the classic sauce for chicken. It is also delicious over vegetables, rice, fish, eggs, and lamb meatballs. It may be frozen to turn another meal into something scrumptious!
Makes about 4 cups
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
4 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1½ teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom pods, toasted and ground
¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cayenne
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons coconut flour
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
Sea salt
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne, and black pepper. Add the tomato paste, then whisk in the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly.
In a medium bowl, whisk the coconut flour into the coconut milk and set aside for a few minutes for the coconut milk to absorb the flour. Add the thickened coconut milk to the broth mixture and heat to warm it, then puree using a handheld blender. Add the lemon juice and season with salt.
Pesto Sauce
This sauce does not contain broth, but we include it because pesto blends beautifully into broth for a variety of soups, such as Spicy Coconut Chicken and Shrimp Soup (here) and White Bean Soup with Sausage and Pesto (here).
Makes about 1 cup
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 to 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Place the basil leaves in a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add the garlic, salt, pine nuts, and cheese and blend well. Add the oil in a thin stream through the hole in the lid and process to form a thick paste.