Stocks, Sauces & Soups Flashcards

Which of the following is NOT one of the five classical French mother sauces?

Answer: Bordelaise

Bordelaise is a classic derivative (small) sauce made from red wine and bone marrow; the five mother sauces are béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and sauce tomat.

What is the thickening base of a classical béchamel sauce?

Answer: A white roux of equal parts cooked butter and flour

Béchamel is made by cooking a white roux (equal parts butter and flour) and then gradually whisking in hot milk to create a smooth, creamy white sauce.

What liquid base is used to make a velouté sauce?

Answer: White or blond stock (veal, chicken, or fish)

Velouté is made by thickening a white or blond stock—veal, chicken, or fish depending on the application—with a blond roux, giving it a smooth, velvety texture.

What is the proper technique for 'tempering' egg yolks when incorporating them into a hot sauce?

Answer: Slowly add small amounts of hot liquid to the egg yolks while whisking constantly before combining

Tempering involves gradually adding small amounts of hot liquid to egg yolks while constantly whisking, slowly raising their temperature to prevent proteins from curdling before they are added to the sauce.

What is a roux and what are its three stages based on cooking time?

Answer: A cooked mixture of equal parts fat and flour; stages are white, blond, and brown (dark)

A roux is a cooked mixture of equal parts fat and flour used as a thickening agent; cooking it to different degrees produces white roux (short cook), blond roux (medium), and brown/dark roux (long cook), each with distinct flavors.

What does the term 'nappe' describe when evaluating the consistency of a finished sauce?

Answer: The sauce coats the back of a spoon and a line drawn through it holds its shape

'Nappe' consistency means the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and when a finger is drawn through the coating, the line holds cleanly without the sauce running back together.

What is a 'liaison' in classical French sauce-making and when is it added?

Answer: A mixture of egg yolks and heavy cream added off the heat to enrich and lightly thicken a sauce

A liaison is a mixture of egg yolks and heavy cream (typically 1 yolk to 3 tablespoons cream) stirred into a sauce off the heat to enrich it and add body without boiling, which would cause curdling.