A Brief History of The Mother Sauces
The French mother sauces were originally four base sauces set forth by Antonin Careme in the 19th century. Careme’s four original mother sauces were Sauce Tomat, Bechamel, Veloute and Espagnole. Then in the 20th century, Chef Auguste Escoffier added the fifth and final mother sauce, hollandaise, with its derivatives covering almost all forms of classical emulsion sauces including mayonnaise.
Our first sauce is: Sauce Bechamel
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/4 cups milk, heated
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown — about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat. To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming.
Chef’s Note: Classically served with Eggs, Fish, Steamed Poultry, Steamed Vegetables, Pastas, Veal
Delicioso 