415C Stocks and Sauces â Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are the four essential components of a white stock?
- Roasted bones, tomato paste, mirepoix, water
- Raw bones, cold water, mirepoix, and a bouquet garni or sachet d'Ă©pices (Correct answer)
- Ground meat, hot water, vegetables, and cream
- Fish bones, wine, herbs, and butter
Correct answer: Raw bones, cold water, mirepoix, and a bouquet garni or sachet d'Ă©pices
A white stock is made from raw (unroasted) bones, started in cold water, with mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) and a bouquet garni or sachet d'Ă©pices for aromatics. Starting in cold water extracts maximum flavour and produces a clearer stock.
Question 2: What is a mirepoix and what is the standard ratio of its components?
- A mixture of ground herbs at 1:1:1 ratio
- A combination of onion, celery, and carrot at a 2:1:1 ratio (by weight) (Correct answer)
- A blend of garlic, shallots, and leeks at 3:1:1 ratio
- A mixture of tomato, pepper, and mushroom at 1:1:1 ratio
Correct answer: A combination of onion, celery, and carrot at a 2:1:1 ratio (by weight)
Mirepoix is a French culinary term for a combination of roughly chopped onion, celery, and carrot in a 2:1:1 ratio by weight (50% onion, 25% celery, 25% carrot). It provides the aromatic foundation for stocks, soups, sauces, and braised dishes.
Question 3: What are the five French mother sauces?
- Hollandaise, marinara, alfredo, pesto, gravy
- Béchamel, velouté, espagnole, tomato, and hollandaise (Correct answer)
- Béchamel, bolognese, béarnaise, bordelaise, bourguignon
- Cream, butter, wine, stock reduction, and vinaigrette
Correct answer: Béchamel, velouté, espagnole, tomato, and hollandaise
The five French mother sauces, as codified by Auguste Escoffier, are: béchamel (milk + white roux), velouté (white stock + blond roux), espagnole (brown stock + brown roux + tomato), tomato sauce, and hollandaise (egg yolks + clarified butter). All other classical sauces derive from these five.
Question 4: What is a roux and what are its three stages?
- A cold butter-flour mixture; soft, medium, hard
- Equal parts fat and flour cooked together; white, blond, and brown (Correct answer)
- A cornstarch slurry; thin, medium, thick
- A reduction of stock; light, medium, dark
Correct answer: Equal parts fat and flour cooked together; white, blond, and brown
A roux is a cooked mixture of equal parts fat (usually butter) and flour by weight. The three stages are: white roux (cooked briefly, no colour, strongest thickening), blond roux (cooked to a straw colour, moderate thickening), and brown roux (cooked to a deep brown, richest flavour but weakest thickening).
Question 5: How long should a brown veal stock typically simmer?
- 1 to 2 hours
- 3 to 4 hours
- 6 to 8 hours (Correct answer)
- 12 to 24 hours
Correct answer: 6 to 8 hours
A brown veal stock should simmer for 6 to 8 hours to extract maximum flavour, gelatin, and body from the roasted bones. The stock should be maintained at a gentle simmer (not a boil) and skimmed regularly to produce a clear, rich result.
Question 6: What is the purpose of skimming a stock during cooking?
- To add seasoning evenly
- To remove impurities, fat, and scum that rise to the surface, producing a clearer and cleaner-tasting stock (Correct answer)
- To check the stock's temperature
- To incorporate air for better flavour development
Correct answer: To remove impurities, fat, and scum that rise to the surface, producing a clearer and cleaner-tasting stock
Skimming removes the coagulated proteins (scum), excess fat, and impurities that rise to the surface during simmering. This produces a clearer stock with a cleaner flavour. Stocks should be skimmed regularly throughout the cooking process.
415C Stocks and Sauces
What are the four essential components of a white stock?