To familiarize ourselves with the preparation of the different mother sauces (Béchamel, Velouté, Espagnole, Tomato, and Hollandaise) and some of their derivative sauces.
Sanitation and Safety
When preparing certain sauces such as fresh Hollandaise, where the primary ingredients are butter and egg yolks, and those sauces must be held at a temperature within the Temperature Danger Zone to maintain their form, it is pertinent that these sauces are either used within 1.5 hours from preparation or discarded. They should not be held for any longer than this, nor should they be stored and used as leftovers at a future time.
Information
During week 3 classes, we prepared the following sauces:
- Béchamel
- Mayonnaise
- Hollandaise
- Beurre Blanc
- Tomato Coulis
- Green Pepper Coulis
Mayonnaise, while not prepared from one of the mother sauces, is an emulsified sauce which has a similar preparation method to Hollandaise and Beurre Blanc (other emulsifications) and so is included here.
Hollandaise sauce is an emulsification of egg yolk and butter, generally seasoned with an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice. While these ingredients cover the sauce in its most basic form, for more flavour a reduction of wine, vinegar, and shallots can be used to give the sauce more zest. To prepare the emulsification, clarified butter is whisked into egg yolks. Egg yolk contains lecithin, a natural emulsifier which allows the sauce to form without breaking. The butter must be added slowly to allow the emulsification to occur. The egg yolks are warmed over a baine marie (double boiler) to the appropriate temperature and then removed for the butter to be added. Temperature plays a critical roll in the creation of this sauce, as letting the eggs get too hot will result in cooked eggs, while letting it cool too far will allow the butter and thus the sauce to solidify. The final sauce should be smooth, buttery, with a pale lemon-yellow colour. It is very rich but light in texture, completely lump free, and should not exhibit any signs of separation. It should be frothy and light, not heavy like a mayonnaise, and should withstand glazing under a salamander or broiler without breaking.
Beurre Blanc is an emulsified sauce which is made without egg yolk. In this sauce the small amounts of lecithin and other emulsifiers found naturally in butter are used to form the sauce. They are thinner and lighter than hollandaise or bérnaise sauces, ending up smooth and slightly thicker than heavy cream. Made from three ingredients - shallots, wine, and butter - the shallots and wine are reduced to provide flavour while the butter becomes the sauce. The end result should be rich and buttery, with a light, acidic flavour that responds well to other seasonings.
A coulis is a sauce made from a purée of vegetables or fruit thinned down to sauce consistency. It is often made from a single vegetable base which is cooked with flavouring ingredients and then puréed. A coulis is generally cooked with very little fat and can be offered as a healthful alternative to heavier classic sauces. The tomato coulis we are serving is merely the appropriate vegetables and seasonings prepared and blended, without cooking. The green pepper coulis is cooked first, prepared with a stock and flavouring ingredients before being blended and strained for service.
Practical
Along with the sauces we are preparing this week, we are also making a vegetable stock and learning how to prepare clarified butter. The vegetable stock is a straight forward procedure of sweating vegetables in oil, adding cold water and seasonings, and boiling for 30-40 minutes. This is a useful stock for vegetarian dishes or dishes which don't require a strong flavoured stock base. Clarified butter is made by melting whole butter over low heat - if the heat is too high the butter will boil or burn, neither of which are conducive to clarification. As the butter melts, there will be solids which float to the surface - these are skimmed off. After the solids have been skimmed away, there are two layers of liquids left in the bowl, a top layer of butterfat and lower of milky water. The top layer is ladled off into a clean pan and kept as the clarified butter, the lower layer is discarded. If the butter is not clear enough at this point, the clean pan can be warmed and the process repeated.
Our Béchamel is prepared by adding the oignon piqué to the milk and bringing to a light simmer - milk will very easily boil over or burn, so heat control is important here. This is simmered for approximately 20 minutes, while in a separate pan a white roux is prepared. The oignon piqué is removed from the milk and the hot milk is then slowly added to the roux while stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Once the two are wholly combined, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer, add seasoning and cook for 20-30 minutes. The sauce is strained through a conical strainer lined with cheesecloth, and the sauce is ready for service.
The mayonnaise is made by placing egg yolks into a bowl and whipping until frothy. We add salt, white pepper, mustard, and some wine vinegar and whisk to combine. We then add vegetable oil at a very slow rate, practically a drop at a time, while constantly whisking to allow the mixture to emulsify. If the mixture gets too thick we can thin it with some of the remaining vinegar from the recipe or by adding a few drops of hot water. Once all the ingredients are combined, the seasoning is adjusted and some lemon juice is added to taste. The mayonnaise is now ready for service.
The hollandaise sauce we make is a two step process. First we prepare the acidic reduction which will flavour our sauce. We combine peppercorns, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, shallots, and water in a pan and reduce by a little more than half. This reduction can be prepared ahead of time and stored chilled for use later. The hollandaise itself is prepared by placing egg yolks in a metal bowl and adding the reduction; these are thoroughly whisked together over a baine maire until the mixture thickens up enough that the whisk will leave a trail. The mixture is removed from the heat while continuing to mix to stabilize the temperature. The butter is then added a little at a time while the sauce is being mixed continuously. After incorporating all of the butter, the sauce should be seasoned and served - cayenne pepper optional for some extra zing!
Beurre Blanc is started by ensuring the butter being used is cut into large dice cubes, and kept chilled. We use the freezer to ensure adequate chilling in a short period of time, but the butter should not be frozen, just cold enough so that it will not instantly melt in a hot pan and ruin the emulsion we are creating. Once this is done, we combine white wine, white wine vinegar, seasoning and shallots in a saucepan and reduce. Over low heat the butter is then slowly added to the pan piece by piece while continually whisking. The cold butter can be used to keep the temperature down while the pan is over heat. Once all butter has been incorporated, the sauce is strained to remove shallot pieces and any other lumps. The sauce is then ready for service.
The tomato coulis was a simple procedure of preparing the ingredients and then blending them. The tomatoes have a cross cut through the skin and are blanched briefly then put in an ice bath to ease the removal of the skin. Once skinned, the tomatoes are seeded and ready to use. Cilantro is chopped, along with green onions and salt and pepper are added to taste. The mixture is blended together and strained to create an even consistency. It is then ready for service.
Our green pepper coulis was made based on a red pepper coulis recipe - obviously quite similar, but the green pepper producing a slightly tarter and not as sweet result. We heat oil and saute garlic and onion until translucent without browning - the browning will add a bitter flavour to the sauce. The peppers are then added and sautéed until soft. The pan is deglazed with white wine and chicken stock is added. The mixture is brought to a simmer and then cooked for approximately 15 minutes. It is blended and strained for consistency, seasonings are adjusted and the sauce is then ready for service.
Personal Observations
While the preparation of emulsions seemed like a difficult task, our group got through all of the emulsions without having one break. Patience and a sore whisking arm are the sign of a job well done while working on these sauces. With very few and very similar ingredients, it is wonderful to find the variety of sauces we can produce.
I had concerns about the tomato coulis as we were using cilantro in it which is not one of my favorite herbs. However, as part of my work in the course I am trying to open my palate to any and all flavours we produce, and in the end I really didn't have any problem with it.
All other sauces had a wonderful flavour and I was continually thinking of how I was going to incorporate them into my meals over the next week.
Chef's Observations
For our vegetable stock, Chef said our colour and aroma was good, but that the stock likely could have used a little longer simmering.
Chef was generally happy with our béchamel - it had good flavour and aroma. The thickness was perhaps a little off but could easily be adjusted. A good effort.
Our mayonnaise turned out well - a good thickness, good flavour and texture. Chef didn't have any issues to point out with it.
Our hollandaise and beurre blanc were both very good. Chef was happy with the colour, texture, thickness, and flavour of these sauces - a very good job by our table.
The tomato coulis was blended with the rest of the classes, and Chef said the result was good. Our pepper coulis had a good colour while some others had browned their vegetables or caused other discolourations. However, we did not simmer for long enough to get the sauce to an appropriate thickness. The flavour was good, but it needed to be a little thicker.
Blog Comments
Again, my group-mates for these sauces were taking pictures during our preparation - I'm just waiting to receive them before posting them. Hopefully they'll be in soon. Next week is vegetables - SOLID FOOD! Along with incorporating some of the sauces we've made, so I'm excited to see (and more importantly, taste) what we're going to produce.
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