The Secrets Behind Succulent Sauces

For this week’s Please Explain, James Peterson stops by to talk sauces. He’s an award-winning food writer, cookbook author, photographer and cooking teacher who started his career as a restaurant cook in Paris in the 1970s. His book, Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making, has just been released in its fourth edition. James will answer all of our burning sauce-related queries – from béarnaise and hollandaise, to bolognese, crème anglaise, and everything in between. 

Check out some of James Peterson's sauce recipes below!

SAUCE BÉCHAMEL The amount of roux per given amount of milk depends on the use of the sauce. Thick versions, used as the base thickener in traditional soufflé recipes, often call for as much as 8 ounces (250 grams) of roux per quart (liter) of milk, whereas béchamel-based soups use approximately 2 ounces (60 grams) per quart (liter) of milk. This recipe produces a medium-thick sauce, appropriate for vegetable gratins.

YIELD: 1 QUART (1 LITER)

INGREDIENTS

milk 1 quart 1 liter

butter 3 ounces 90 grams

flour ¹⁄³ cup 80 milliliters

seasonings (salt, pepper, nutmeg; optional) to taste to taste

1. Bring the milk to a simmer in a 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan. Whisk it from time to time to prevent a skin from forming on its surface (see Note).

2. In a second 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan, gently melt the butter and add the flour. Stir the butter and flour over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until the flour has a pleasant, toasty smell. (A) Remove from the heat for about 30 seconds to cool slightly.

3. Whisk the simmering milk into the roux. Return the sauce to the stove and bring it back to a simmer while whisking. (B)

4. Once the sauce has returned to a slow simmer, turn down the heat and move the saucepan so that only one side is over the flame. (This will cause a skin to form on only one side of the sauce’s surface, making it easy to skim.) Cook the sauce gently for 30 minutes to 1 hour, skimming off the skin. It is a good idea also to occasionally rub around the bottom and corners of the sauce-pan with a wooden spoon to prevent the sauce from scalding.

5. When the starchy taste has cooked out of the sauce, it can be seasoned and strained, depending on its final use. Béchamel should be stirred while it is cooling to prevent a skin from forming on its surface. Putting the pan over a tray of ice will, of course, speed cooling.

Note: Some chefs do not first bring the milk to a simmer and instead pour cold milk, all at once, over the roux. This method saves time—and a pot—but be sure to whisk the sauce vigorously to prevent lumps and skin from forming.

VARIATIONS

Use a pretreated flour such as Wondra. Simply mix the Wondra (the same amount as flour called for in the traditional recipe) in cold water until smooth (make a slurry). Bring the milk to a simmer. Whisk in the slurry. Simmer until the sauce thickens. It should be smooth, but just in case, work it through a chinois.

While béchamel is a fairly stable sauce, there are times (especially if the flour is old) when it will break. To avoid this, blend hydrocolloids into the finished sauce. Lambda carrageenan lends an authentic dairy-like mouthfeel to the sauce and is easy to use. Start by adding 1% lambda carrageenan to the sauce and build up as needed to get the thickness you want.

 

James Peterson's cauliflower gratin. (Courtesy James Peterson)

 

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN Béchamel derivatives, especially Mornay sauce, make excellent toppings for gratins because they brown and become extremely aromatic. Practically any vegetable can be pre-cooked slightly and then baked while covered with sauce.

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

cauliflower, 1 large bunch or 2 small bunches

mornay sauce (SEE BELOW) 1 quart 1 liter

grated gruyère or similar cheese 1½ cups 180 grams

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Cut the cauliflower into florets. Boil for about 5 minutes.