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3. Beaten sauces
A beaten sauce made from very fresh egg yolk, spices and liquid (for instance wine, stock, juice) which is beaten until thick and foamy over a hot bain-marie to which melted, slightly cooled-down butter is added at the end. Here are a few guidelines you should follow:
• Preferably, use a stainless steel bain-marie bowl.
• For the bain-marie base, fill a large saucepan 3⁄4 full with water. The water should only bubble very gently (simmering) and not boil.
• Place the bain-marie bowl with the ingredients in the saucepan with the water and beat the mixture with a whisk or hand-mixer set at the lowest power until it becomes thick and foamy.
• Now slowly add the melted, slightly cooleddown butter to the egg yolk mixture.
• Taste with a clean spoon.
• Prepare the sauce as near as possible to the time of serving because it collapses very quickly (it can be kept warm for a short time over the hot water).
Beaten sauces can be varied by adding herbs, lemon juice, white wine, crushed peppercorns, paprika, grated cheese or orange juice. Sweet beaten sauces can be enhanced by the addition of vanilla, ginger, orange juice, lemon juice or white wine.
4. Cold sauces
To make cold sauces, all the ingredients are mixed together when cold (for instance, mayonnaise, remoulade and salad dressings such as vinaigrette). When making cold sauces using raw egg it is extremely important to use only fresh eggs. Keep the finished sauce in the refrigerator and use within 24 hours.
Thickening sauces
The base of a sauce is in fact already created during the cooking process. But this base does usually not have the desired consistency, so a thickening agent will be needed. The seasoning will also need to be adjusted when the sauce is finished.
Roux
Brown the flour in melted fat (for instance butter or margarine) until light or dark brown. Add stock to the flour and fat mixture stirring constantly and cook the sauce until the right consistency has been achieved.
Flour and butter
Knead together 2⁄3 softened butter with 1⁄3 flour and add to the boiling liquid little by little until the desired consistency has been achieved. This type of sauce thickens very quickly.
Vegetables
Braise some vegetables and onions, then blend together with the cooking juices. If desired, the mixture can be passed through a sieve. This makes a light, low calorie thickening agent.
Flour, cornflour
Mix together some cold liquid (for instance water or stock) and flour or cornflour. Add this mixture to the hot liquid and cook for about 5 minutes. The aroma of more delicate sauces can often be masked with this kind of method.
Egg yolk
Mix together an egg yolk with a little milk or cream and stir slowly into the sauce which must first be removed from the heat. Now stir vigorously until the sauce thickens. Do not bring back to the boil because the egg yolk would curdle.
Whipping cream
Stir whipping cream into the sauce and cook until the sauce has the desired consistency. Cream with a 10% fat content should not be used because it will flocculate over heat.
Crème fraîche, double cream
Add crème fraîche or double cream to the sauce and stir well. The high fat content will make the sauce thicken beautifully.
Butter
Stir ice-cold flakes of butter into the sauce using a mixing spoon or whisk. The sauce must remain hot throughout but not boil. Serve immediately because this type of sauce becomes thin very quickly.
Pumpernickel, gingerbread
Stir finely crumbled pumpernickel or gingerbread into the liquid, bring to the boil and simmer briefly. Then strain the sauce through a sieve if desired. This is a traditional method for thickening dark sauces.
Gravy thickener
Stir in light or dark gravy thickener (depending on the kind of sauce you are making) into the liquid following the instruction on the package. Very quick and easy.
SAUCES
80 | Frankfurt green sauce
Classic
Preparation time: about 30 minutes
about 150 g/5 oz fresh herbs for Frankfurt green sauce
150 g/5 oz crème fraîche or sour cream
1 small onion
150 g/5 oz natural yogurt
3–4 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon mustard
1 squeeze lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
salt, white pepper
Per serving:
P: 4 g, F: 15 g, C: 7 g, kJ: 736, kcal: 176
1. Rinse the herbs, pat dry, remove the leaves from the stems, chop coarsely and purée with 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream. Or simply chop the herbs very finely. Peel the onion and chop finely.
2. Now stir the herbs and cream mixture or the finely chopped herbs into the rest of the crème fraîche or soured cream together with the yogurt, chopped onion, oil and mustard. Season the sauce with lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper and refrigerate until serving.
Uses: Frankfurt green sauce can be served with new potatoes, with hard
boiled eggs or with boiled beef.
Tip: The “real” Frankfurt sauce includes 7 fresh herbs, but the herbs can be varied according to the season. You can also buy bunches of mixed herbs, specially put together for Frankfurt green sauce, each about 150 g/5 oz. If these are not available where you live, you can also buy a large bunch of mixed herbs, for instance, parsley, chives, chervil, burnet, borage, lemon balm, cress or sorrel. If you cannot find fresh herbs you can also use deepfrozen herbs (4 packs of 25 g/1 oz each).
SAUCES
81 | Cheese sauce
Easy
Preparation time: about 15 minutes
30 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter or margarine
25 g/1 oz (4 tablespoons) flour
375 ml/12 fl oz (11⁄2 cups) vegetable stock
150 g/5 oz soft cheese salt
a few squeezes of lemon juice
Per serving:
P: 6 g, F: 18 g, C: 5 g, kJ: 845, kcal: 202
1. Melt the butter or margarine in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir until the mixture turns pale yellow.
2. Add the vegetable stock and stir vigorously with a whisk, making sure that there are no lumps.
3. Bring the sauce to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes without a lid, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the processed cheese and stir to make it melt in the sauce. Season with salt and lemon juice.
Uses: Cheese sauce is delicious served with Brussels sprouts, or with meat such as medallions of pork.
Tip: To reduce the calories you can use half of the cheese and replace the other half with herb or paprika quark. The sauce should not be allowed to boil after the quark has been added.
Variation: To make a blue cheese sauce, use only 10 g/1⁄3 oz flour, replace the processed cheese with 150 g/5 oz Roquefort or gorgonzola and add 5 tablespoons whipping cream. Season the sauce with 1–2 tablespoons white wine instead of lemon juice and a little pepper. Serve with noodles.
SAUCES
82 | Basic white sauce
Quick
Preparation time: about 15 minutes
25 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter or margarine
20 g/3⁄4 oz (3 tablespoons) plain (allpurpose) flour
375 ml/12 fl oz (11⁄2 cups) stock, e.g vegetable stock
salt
freshly ground pepper
Per serving:
P: 1 g, F: 5 g, C: 4 g, kJ: 274, kcal: 65
1. Melt the butter or margarine in a pan. Add the flour and stir over heat until the mixture turns a pale yellow.
2. Add the stock and stir vigorously using a whisk, making sure that there are no lumps.
3. Bring the sauce to the boil and simmer gently for about 5 minutes without the lid on, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
Uses: White sauce is an ideal base for herb and cheese sauces and is perfect for serving with vegetables
, fish or fried meat.
Variation1: To make mustard sauce, make the white sauce with 250 ml/ 8 fl oz (1 cup) milk and 125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) whipping cream instead of the 375 ml/12 fl oz (11⁄2 cups) of stock. Finally, stir in 2 tablespoons medium-hot mustard and season the sauce with lemon juice, sugar and salt.
Variation2: To make horseradish sauce, make the white sauce with 125 ml/ 4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) vegetable stock, 125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) milk and 125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) whipping cream instead of the 375 ml/12 fl oz (11⁄2 cups) of stock. Finally, stir in 2 tablespoons grated horseradish (from a jar) and season the sauce with salt, white pepper, sugar and lemon juice.
Variation3: To make herb sauce, make the white sauce with 250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) milk and 125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) vegetable stock instead of the 375 ml/ 12 fl oz (11⁄2 cups) of stock. Finally, stir in 3 tablespoons chopped herbs (for instance parsley, chervil or dill) and 2 tablespoons crème fraîche, then season the sauce with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
SAUCES
83 | Basic brown sauce
Quick
Preparation time: about 15 minutes
25 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter or margarine
20 g/3⁄4 oz (3 tablespoons) plain (allpurpose) flour
375 ml/12 fl oz (11⁄2 cups) stock, e.g vegetable stock
salt
freshly ground pepper
Per serving:
P: 1 g, F: 5 g, C: 4 g, kJ: 274, kcal: 65
1. Melt the butter or margarine in a pan. Add the flour and stir over heat until the mixture turns a medium to dark brown. Add the stock and stir vigorously using a whisk, making sure that there are no lumps.
2. Bring the sauce to the boil and simmer gently for about 5 minutes without the lid on, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
Uses: Brown sauce is ideal with liver or with ragouts made from dark meat.
Variation: Clean and wash 1 bunch of soup vegetables, cut into small pieces and soften in the butter. Dust with the flour and make the sauce as described above, but cook with 1 bay leaf and 1 sprig of thyme, both rinsed. When the cooking time is completed pour the sauce through a sieve) and season to taste with salt, pepper and 2–3 tablespoons of port or sherry. This variation is excellent as a sauce for meat cut into strips.
SAUCES
84 | Béchamel sauce
Classic
Preparation time: about 15 minutes
1 onion
40 g/11⁄2 oz uncooked ham
30 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter or margarine
25 g/1 oz (4 tablespoons) plain (all-purpose) flour
125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) vegetable stock
250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) milk or whipping cream
salt, pepper
grated nutmeg
Per serving:
P: 4 g, F: 18 g, C: 8 g, kJ: 873, kcal: 208
1. Peel the onion and chop into small dice. Also finely dice the ham. Melt the butter or margarine in a pan over medium heat. Add the diced ham and cook briefly. Stir in the flour and the diced onion and cook until the flour is bright yellow.
2. Add the vegetable stock and milk or cream. Stir vigorously using a whisk, making sure that there are no lumps.
3. Bring the sauce to the boil and simmer gently uncovered over low heat, stirring it occasionally. Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Uses: Béchamel sauce goes well with vegetables, e.g. carrots or kohlrabi . It is also good with steamed fish.
SAUCES
85 | Mushroom sauce
Sophisticated
Preparation time: about 20 minutes
250 g/9 oz mushrooms
50 g/2 oz streaky bacon
2 teaspoons cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil
250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) vegetable stock
15 g/1⁄2 oz (1 tablespoon) soft butter
15 g/1⁄2 oz (2 tablespoons) plain (all-purpose) flour
150 g/5 oz crème fraîche salt
freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
Per serving:
P: 6 g, F: 18 g, C: 5 g, kJ: 846, kcal: 204
1. Remove stalk ends of the mushrooms, cut out any bad parts and wipe clean with kitchen paper. Rinse if necessary, pat dry and slice. Dice the bacon.
2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the diced bacon and braise briefly, stirring continuously. Now add the sliced mushrooms and the stock and bring to the boil and simmer gently uncovered for about 5 minutes.
3. Knead the butter and flour together, add to the mixture and stir with a whisk or mixing spoon to dissolve it in the sauce. Let the sauce simmer gently uncovered for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the crème fraîche. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley.
Uses: Mushroom sauce is delicious served with beef steak, schnitzel and fried fish fillets or steak.
Variation 1: To make a vegetarian mushroom sauce, leave out the bacon and braise the mushrooms in 15 g/1⁄2 oz (1 tablespoon) butter or 1–2 tablespoons olive oil. In addition, season the sauce with 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary.
Variation 2: For a mushroom sauce with ceps, rinse about 10 g/1⁄3 oz dried ceps in a sieve under cold water and allow to drain. Heat up the vegetable stock, remove from the heat, add the ceps and leave to soak for about 30 minutes. Prepare the sauce as indicated above and add the stock with the ceps.
SAUCES
86 | Brown beef stock
Good for preparing in advance
Preparation time: about 31⁄2 hours
1 kg/21⁄4 lb meat bones from the butcher, chopped into small pieces
2 onions
1 bunch soup vegetables
4 teaspoons cooking oil, e.g. sunflower oil
2 teaspoons tomato purée
about 3 litres/5 pints (13 cups) water
2 branches thyme
1 bay leaf
salt
Per serving:
P: 3 g, F: 5 g, C: 1 g, kJ: 265, kcal: 63
1. Rinse meat bones under cold running water and pat dry. Peel and chop the onions. Next prepare the soup vegetables. Peel the celeriac and cut out any bad parts. Peel the carrots and cut off the green leaves and tips. Wash the celeriac and carrots and leave to drain. Remove the outer leaves of the leeks, cut off the root ends and dark leaves. Cut in half lengthways, wash thoroughly and leave to drain. Chop up all the vegetables.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the bones and fry in the hot oil. Now add the chopped vegetables and brown them with the bones. Stir in the tomato purée and cook briefly.
3. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and cook until the water evaporates. Repeat this operation twice, while making sure that the vegetables and bones do not get burnt.
4. Add the rest of the water, bring to the boil and skim. Rinse the thyme and add to the bone and vegetable mixture. Add the bay leaf. Cook over low heat for about 21⁄2 hours without lid, reducing the liquid to 1 litre/13⁄4 pints (41⁄2 cups).
5. Pour the stock through a fine sieve and season to taste with salt.
Uses: Brown beef stock can be used to prepare brown gravy (for instance, basic brown sauce, to serve with steak and roast meat.
Variation: For a beef stock with an oriental touch, replace the thyme with 30 g/1 oz peeled ginger, 1 peeled clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds and 2 pieces of star anise. Use the stock instead of vegetable stock in oriental dishes.
Tip: This beef stock is ideal for preparing in advance. You can make double the quantity and freeze it or store in thoroughly washed and well-rinsed jars with screw-on lids which are then kept in the refrigerator. Frozen it can be kept for about 3 months, while in glass jars stored in the refrigerator it will be good for about 4 weeks.
SAUCES
87 | Light poultry stock
Good for preparing in advance
Preparation time: about 23⁄4 hours
1 kg/21⁄4 lb giblets (wings, neck, heart etc.)
1 bunch soup vegetables
1 onion
1 clove
1 bay leaf
125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) white wine
2 litres/31⁄2 pints (9 cups) water
2 teaspoons salt
Per serving:
P: 2 g, F: 2 g, C: 1 g, kJ: 202, kcal: 48
1. Rinse the giblets under cold running water and leave to drain. Next, prepare the soup vegetables. Peel the celeriac and cut out any bad parts. Peel the carrots and cut off the green leaves and tips. Wash the celeriac and carrots and leave to drain. Remove the outer leaves of the leeks, cut off the root ends and dark leaves. Cut in half lengthways, wash thoroughly and leave to drain. Chop up all the vegetables.
2. Peel the onion and stud with the clove and bay leaf. Add all the ingredients to the white wine, water and salt in a saucepan and bring slowly uncovered to the boil. While it comes to the boil skim from time to time with a perforated skimmer.
3. Cook uncovered for 21⁄2 hours over low heat until about 1 litre/ 13⁄4 pints (41⁄2 cups) liquid is left. Then pour through a sieve.
Uses: Light poultry stock is suitable as the basis for many soups and for
cooking fish.
Tip: For later use, poultry stock is best frozen separately in small containers. For low calorie dishes, make the stock with water instead of wine and degrease after boiling. You can also use 2 packets of frozen chicken pieces of 500 g/18 oz each. They need not be thawed previously.
SAUCES
88 | Hollandaise
Classic
Preparation time: about 15 minutes, excluding cooling time
150 g/5 oz butter
2 yolks from 2 medium eggs
4 teaspoons white wine
squeeze of lemon juice
salt
freshly ground pepper