Category: Culinary School: Classical French Techniques

Sauce Suprême

1 Quart Sauce Velouté

1 Quart White Stock (Chicken, Veal, or Fish)

1 Cup of Mushroom Cooking Liquid *

1 Cup of Heavy Cream or Crème Fraîche

3 Ounces Butter

Combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Lower heat and reduce by 2/3, approximately one quart.  Skim off fat during reduction.  Finish sauce by stirring in 1 cup of heavy cream and 3 ounces of butter.

Sauce Soubise

Sauce Soubise is a combination of Béchamel and an onion purée.  It is a wonderful sauce used in all types of gratins.

For Sauce Soubise sweat one pound of white onions.  Do NOT brown.  Combine with two cups of Béchamel.  Cover the sauce and cook it slowly for 30 minutes.  Purée and strain.

Sauce Mornay

Sauce Mornay (Cheese Sauce) is usually used for the base of a cheese soufflé or gratin.  Classic recipes use half Gruyère and Parmesean.  Today it is often used with many other cheeses.  A combination of two well-aged cheddars works amazingly.  Blue cheeses also work very well, but please choose genuine Roquefort, gorgonzola, stilton, etc.

For Sauce Mornay add four ounces of cheese per quart of Béchamel.  Stir the sauce just long enough for the cheese to melt.

Sauce Crème (Cream Sauce)

Cream sauce in modern times has been all but replaced by lightly reduced cream.  Traditionally cream sauce is finished by taking 1 quart of Béchamel with 7 ounces of heavy cream.  Reduce the mixture to three-quarters.  Add an additional 5 ounces of heavy cream.  This should bring it to the right consistency.

Sauce Allemande

5 Egg Yolks

2 Cups White Stock (Chicken, Veal, or Fish)

1 Cup of Mushroom Cooking Liquid *

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Quart Hot Sauce Velouté

4 Ounces Butter

Whisk together egg yolks, white stock, mushroom cooking liquid, and lemon juice.  Add to hot Sauce Velouté and whisk returning to heat.  Reduce sauce by one-third, approximately one quart.  Whisk 4 ounces cold butter into the sauce.

* Mushroom Cooking Liquid

Is prepared by cooking mushroom for 15 minutes in a covered pot with an equal amount of water.  While cultivated button mushrooms work, as with all cooking adding more exotic wild mushroom will make a more flavorful broth.

Mayonnaise: Egg yolks, mustard, oil, acid.

Verte: Mayonnaise and green herbs.

Rémoulade: Mayonnaise, capers, cornichons, chervil, tarragon, parsley, chives; chopped onions and egg are optional.

Gribiche: Mayonnaise, hard cooked eggs,  mustard, cornichons, parsley, chervil and tarragon.

Chantilly: Two parts mayonnaise and one part whipped cream.

Aioli: Mayonnaise, Garlic, sometimes saffron.

Rouille: Mayonnaise, White Bread, Garlic, paprika, saffron.

Andalouse: Mayonnaise, tomato coulis, diced peppers.

Hollandaise: Egg yolks, clarified butter, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper.

Mousseline: Three parts Hollandaise and one part whipped cream.

Mortarde: Hollandaise, blood orange juice, blanched mandarin orange zest.

Mikado: Hollandaise, mandarin orange juice, blanched mandarin orange zest.

Béarnaise: Egg yolks, clarified butter, salt, tarragon, chervil, Reduction Of white wine vinegar, shallots, tarragon, peppercorns.

Foyot or Valois: Béarnaise and meat glaze.

Charon: Béarnaise and tomato concassé.

Paloise: Béarnaise with mint instead of tarragon.

Tyrolienne: Béarnaise with a neutral oil instead of clarified butter.

• Made by combining two normally incompatible liquids through the incorporation of a binding or emulsifying agent.
• Egg Yolks: Classically most common emulsifying agent.
• Sabayon: Egg yolks and flavoring components whisked into a foamy mixture over a hot water bath until they are thick and airy.  Clarified butter is then added in a steady stream and whisked until smooth.
• Clarified Butter: Butter that has been slowly melted, allowing most of the water to evaporate and the milk solids to separate and settle in the bottom of the pan.
• Warm emulsified sauces will break or curdle if not prepared or held properly. Ideal temperature 120 degrees (49 degrees Celsius)
• Possible reasons for failure:
  • The sabayon was I sufficiently cooked.
  • The sabayon was overcooked.
  • Clarified butter was incorporated too quickly.
  • Excessive heat made the butter separate from the yolks.
• If sauce broke, ways to restabalize:
  • Beat a few drops of water into the sauce, working it in from the bottom inner edge of the bowl and using a small wire whisk gradually bring the whole sauce into the process.
  • If the sauce broke because it was too hot, add a few drops of cold water.
  • If the sauce broke because it was too cold, add a few drops of warm water.
  • If the sauce appears about to break, dip the bottom of the bowl into ice water bath and whisk constantly until the sauce smooths.
• Warm Emulsified Sauces
  1. Clarify Butter.
  2. Cook sabayon over hot water bath, whisking constantly.
  3. Slowly add warm clarified butter, whisking constantly.
  4. If too thick, add drops of warm water, whisking constantly.
  5. Season with salt, cayenne and lemon juice.
  6. Hold at 120 degrees (49 degrees Celsius).

Mornay: Béchamel combined with Gruyère cheese and egg yolks.

Crème: Béchamel with heavy cream and lemon juice.

Soubise: Onions sweated in butter and added to Béchamel.

Smitane: Classically but no longer made from Béchamel. Chopped onions sweated in butter, moistened with white wine and reduced; sour cream added.