Types of Mother Sauces and how to use them

When you think of sauces, what comes to mind? perhaps simple condiments you use every day. Or maybe its your favourite gravy from the best Sunday roast in town. All sauces in classical cookery come from the same 5 sauce that we chefs call "the mother sauces". In this article we will explore the 5 types of mother sauce, what defines them & how to use them.

Mother Sauces

Types of Mother Sauces and how to use them

Sauce 1 - Béchamel Sauce

Let's start with the first one you learn in catering college. The Béchamel or white sauce is roux based so has a rich creamy texture and with a mild flavour profile.

Uses

Béchamel is most commonly used as a base for great pasta dish, white meat dishes & vegetable bakes. If you have ever sampled a homemade macaroni cheese, lasagne or cauliflower, bake then you most probably all ready experienced the majesty of basic Béchamel enhanced with cheese.

Basic Recipe

Béchamel Sauce

600ml milk

1 onion

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

6 black peppercorns

55g butter

55g plain flour

1. Bring the milk just to the boil with the onion pierced with the bay leaf and cloves, and the peppercorns.

2. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes before straining.

3. Then melt the butter in a non-stick pan, stir in the flour, and cook over a low heat for five minutes.

4. When smooth, start adding some of the strained milk. Stir until smooth, and then add more milk until the sauce is thickened.

5. Cook for 10-15 minutes to ensure the flour is cooked through.

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Sauce 2 - Velouté Sauce

Velouté sauce is very similar to a béchamel in that it is roux based with a creamy texture. However there are two main differences. Firstly, the roux is cooked a little longer before adding liquid. This is known as a blond roux. Secondly, the liquid added is a white stock such as vegetable, chicken or fish.

Uses

Velouté is great for finishing white meats & fish dishes. Again the flavour isn't overpowered so while it can be used to as a stand alone hero, a quick addition ingredients like a good wild mushroom can take a simple roast chicken to new heights.

Basic Recipe

Veloute Sauce

1L white stock

50g butter

50g plain flour

1. Melt the butter over a medium heat.

2. Stir in the flour and constantly stir to form a roux.

3. Cook the roux for 3-5 minutes to turn blond.

4. Warm the stock.

5. A little at a time, stir stock into the roux and combine well. Keep adding until all the stock is combined.

6. Simmer the sauce 20 minutes. 

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Sauce 3 - Espagnole Sauce

Espagnole Sauce is fantastic sauce to learn. Full of rich flavour and the building blocks of an incredible gravy. Again this is a roux based sauce. However the roux is cooked even further to make a brown roux. The liquid added is brown stock such as beef or lamb and simmered for added intensity.

Uses

Espagnole, often known as brown sauce, is the perfect pairing with steaks, braised or casseroles. Or combine with reduced res wine to form a rich Demi glacé.

Basic Recipe

Espagnole Sauce

750ml brown stock

25g smoked pork belly

25g diced carrot

25g onions

30g mushrooms

150g fresh tomatoes or 100 g tinned chopped tomatoes

20g tomato paste

1 garlic clove

1 bouquet garni (made with a twig of thyme, 4 parsley stalks and a few celery leaves)

20g butter to cook the bacon

Salt and pepper to season

50g butter

50g plain flour

1. Make the roux by melting the butter and combining with the flour.

2. Cook the roux on a low heat until it reaches a brown roux stage.

3. Remove from the pan and set aside.

4. Saute the pork belly, carrot, onion, mushroom, garlic & bouquet garni in a little butter.

5. Tomatoes, tomato paste & stock and simmer for 2 hours.

6. Strain the sauce to remove the solids and place back on the heat.

7. whisk in the precooked roux a little at a time to thicken the sauce

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Sauce 4 - Hollandaise Sauce

Think of Hollandaise as a fancy mayonnaise. It uses clarified butter and Instead of using a roux or a reduction, Hollandaise uses the method of emulsification. That is the act of using a binding agent, in this case egg yolk, to force two ingredients that don't mix well together in to a wonderful thick sauce.

Uses

Use liberally over poached eggs, asparagus, spinach or flavour with herbs to create a wonderful sauce for fish & chicken.

Basic Recipe

Hollandaise Sauce

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

6 peppercorns

1 dried bay leaf

2 egg yolks

125g butter, melted

lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste

1. Put the vinegar in a small pan with the peppercorns and bay leaf. Reduce the vinegar over a high heat until there is only 1 tbsp left. Strain the peppercorns and the bay leaf from this reduction. Allow to cool.

2. Whisk together two fresh egg yolks with the white wine vinegar in a large heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not to let the bowl touch the water) and whisk until lukewarm.

3. Add the melted butter to the egg yolks very, very slowly, beating continuously. Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice.

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Sauce 5 - Tomato Sauce

probably the first mother sauce you ever tasted over spaghetti. Tomato sauce is often a mixture of just onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Although traditionally starts with a roux, some tomato sauces use reduction to build flavor and create thickness.

Uses

Used in thousands of pasta dishes but also pairs great with chicken and vegetable dishes such as a ratatouille.

Basic Recipe

Tomato Sauce

50g bacon lardons

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 diced carrot carrot

1 diced white onion

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

3 tbsp Plain flour

1kg chopped fresh tomatoes or 800g tinned

500ml stock

1 clove garlic

pinches of sugar

Salt and ground black pepper

1. In large pan, brown the lardons in butter over a medium heat.

2. Add the carrots, onion, bay leaf, and thyme, and cook, stirring regularly.

3. Stir in the flour and continue cooking. stirring frequently, until the flour lightly browns.

4. Stir in the tomatoes and stock, then bring to a boil.

5. Add the garlic and sugar.

6. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.

7. Simmer for 90 minutes.

8. Strain the vegetables and allow to cool.

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Final Thoughts

So that's the 5 types of mother sauces and how to use them. Knowledge of the five French mother sauces will prove essential. They may seem intimidating, but mother sauces will nurture your kitchen confidence. With a few simple ingredients and a couple easy techniques, these five sauces, all equally important to your cooking repertoire, serve as the starting point for an endless collection of other classics.