Best sauces and how to cook with them

Going to culinary school meant being familiar with the French mother sauces. They're called mother sauces because each one is like the head of its own unique family, also known as the foundation for many dishes.

A sauce is essentially a liquid plus a thickening agent along with other flavoring ingredients. Each of the five mother sauces is made with a different liquid, and a different thickening agent—although three of the mother sauces are thickened with ​a roux, in each case the roux is cooked for a different amount of time to produce a lighter or darker color (Spruce Eats)

Béchamel Sauce

This is also known as the "white sauce". This was a sauce most often served to the rich or to royalty. Made out of a roux of flour, boiled milk, and butter, the creamy white sauce added a smooth touch to white meats such as chicken, vegetables, and eggs. In the years before refrigeration, milk products were rarely used in the recipes of the average French housewife.

Dishes you may cook with this sauce: Classic Lasagna, Classic Moussaka, Chicken and Leek Pie, Cauliflower Cannelloni, and Spinach and Bechamel Bake

Veloute Sauce

Veloute sauce is often called the “fat white sauce” or “rich white sauce.” This is a white sauce with a blondish color that starts with chicken, veal or fish stock that has been thickened with a white roux. Common derivatives of this sauce include allemande sauce (veal), supreme sauce (chicken), and vin blance sauce (fish).

Dishes you may cook with this sauce: Chicken à la King, Salted Beef Brisket, Spaghetti With Seafood Velouté, Creamy Brie Soup, and Blanquette de Veau.

Brown or Espagnole Sauce

This sauce starts with a dark brown roux, veal stock, beef, bones, vegetables and seasonings. It is heated, skimmed and reduced. After the initial reduction, tomato sauce is added, and the sauce is further reduced. Espagnole sauce is often used as the base for derivative sauces such as demi-glace, sauce chevreuil and sauce bourguignonne.

Dishes you may cook with this sauce: Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms and Espagnole Sauce, Salmis of Snipe, Spinach Tortilla Espagnole, and Duck Glace.

Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise sauce is a rich sauce featuring egg yolks and butter. While France made its own butter for many years, they imported butter from Holland during World War I. During this time, the sauce formerly known as “sauce Isigny” became known as Hollandaise sauce. When butter production resumed in France, the name remained the same.

Dishes you may cook with this sauce: Seared Salmon with Leek Mash and Mustard Hollandaise Sauce, Seared Salmon with Leek Mash and Mustard Hollandaise Sauce, Salmon en Croute, and Eggs Benedict Grill.

Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauces are based on tomatoes. A common derivative sauce based on tomato sauce is marinara sauce.

Dishes you may cook with this sauce: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Casserole, Pepperoni Pasta Bake, Easy Ratatouille, Eggplant Parm Casserole, and Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili.

We hope you enjoyed the French mother sauces refresher we collated for you. Remember these sauces and make sure to practice cooking. We encourage you to continue honing your skills at home and be a master of your craft! We have unlimited opportunities for you, hard-working chefs. One of these opportunities is Hospitality Academy, a famous hospitality school that allows you to pursue the culinary education of your dreams and gain real paid work experience in a Michelin-star restaurant or luxury hotel. Hospitality Academy does not only offer work & study programs, but also visa assistance and support throughout the whole program! Sign up for a program today!