How to Make Sauces

Once you learn how to make sauces you can dress up casseroles, use them to top your pasta and even stir them into vegetables. There are several different types of sauces we will cover on this online cooking lesson such as cream sauces, alfredo sauces, tomato sauces and teach you what the 5 mother sauces are.
mother recipes

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5 Mother Sauces

The 5 mother sauces originated from Antonin Careme who categorized four main sauces being Bechamel, Veloute, Brown and Tomato. In the 19th century, Chef Auguste Escoffier added Hollandaise. There are a few variations and different ingredients used in different recipes but all recipes derive from one of these 5 basic sauces.

Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel is a white sauce made from a roux. A roux is a combo of flour and usually butter or oil. You simmer the combination and add in milk. Milk thickens with the roux. You add your seasonings and it becomes a delicious sauce.

A mornay sauce comes from bechamel. Mornay is when you add cheese to the bechamel and is what you would find in a homemade macaroni and cheese. Try these recipes to learn how to make bechamel.

What to do with a White Sauce:

Try Alfredo or white sauce on pizza in place of tomato sauce.
Stir homemade sauce in cooked mixed vegetables.
Add sauce to any shape pasta noodles.
Use sauce for dipping chicken strips.
Substitute Alfredo with tomato sauce in lasagna.

Veloute Sauce

Veloute is also known as the blond sauce. It is similar to the Bechamel sauce except instead of adding milk to your roux you add stock. You can add cream to thicken the sauce.
chicken veloute

Broccoli, stuffed chicken with Veloute

Tomato Sauce

This famous red sauce is one of the more popular Mother sauces. This type is based from tomatoes with added seasonings, flavors and liquid. Learn how to make tomato sauce with these recipes.

How to make spaghetti sauce
How to make tomato sauce

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Espagnole

This brown or demi-glace sauce is traditionally made from beef stock and sometimes, tomato paste. It is usually always served with meat. You make brown sauce by adding beef stock to your roux. It is different then cooking roux in a Bechamel in that it is cooked for a long period of time. It also becomes brown in color and resembles what we would call a gravy.
This is not a typical brown sauce but is a quick version, Beef Stroganoff recipe.

Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise is made from butter and egg yolks. Dishes you'll find this sauce in are Eggs Benedict, over vegetables meat or fish. It is a clear or yellowish sauce.

2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon flour
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup cream, milk or evaporated milk
pinch salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice

In a saucepan, melt butter and add flour. Blend together making a roux. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Take off heat and allow to cool 3-5 minutes. Add egg yolks and mustard. Stir until well blended and eggs have warmed in the heat of the warm sauce. Blend in the lemon juice and salt. Serve.

hollandaise sauce