Good Cooking since 1995
5 Classic French Sauces
Convert the recipe
Works in most Browsers
Sauce Bordelaise
Sauce Bercy
Sauce Vin Blanc
Sauce Supreme
Sauce Bigarade
And 3 Popular Sauces
Traditional Arrabiata Pasta Sauce
Traditional Romanesco Sauce
Traditional American BBQ Sauce
During my career as a chef I've been a butcher, a baker and a saucier! Yes,
I practiced the skills set by the famous French Chef August Escoffier,
trying to be as authentic to his standards as possible. Stocks were made
from chicken carcasses, roasted veal bones, roasted duck bones and roasted
lamb, then slowly simmered for hours if not more, except for fish stock,
which only cooked for 45 minutes. In some cases the finished stocks were
reduced by half to concentrate the flavors, a double stock. They weren't
made in a few minutes; there was a lot of expertise and tasting that went
into each stock. Well made stocks are the foundation of classic French
sauces as well as soups
History: Made to order sauce just like restaurants use! Here are five that you can make at home.
Better than any bottled sauce you can buy!
Serving size: Varies with each recipe. Preparation time: varies from 30 minutes to 3 hours
Sauce Bordelaise---
The most traditional red wine sauce use in France for beef, duck or game.
Amount/Measure/Ingredient
1 tbsp. shallots, chopped fine
2 tsp. butter, clarified
1 branch thyme, about 1/2 tsp. of leaves
½ bay leaf, the size of a nickel
1 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed not ground
1 cup red wine, merlot or cabernet
---------
8 ounces double veal stock
or use diluted More Than Gourmet Classic French Demi-Glace
1 tbsp.
+ 1 tsp. brown roux, cooked 6-7 minutes until the roux
begins to smell toasty, like toasted hazelnuts---it will be the color of
walnuts
salt to taste
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
Procedure: In a preheated sauce pot saute the shallots, bay leaf, thyme
and peppercorns with the butter over low heat, don't brown the shallots,
deglaze with wine, and then reduce by 1/2. Add the
fortified stock and simmer slowly to reduce further and
to develop flavor. Whisk in the roux and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming as
needed. Add salt, check for the thickness
(the sauce should nappe the back of a spoon and hold a line after your
finger draws a line across), then strain and cover with plastic wrap. Just
before serving monté au beurre (whisk in the unsalted butter), this will
enrich the sauce and give it smoothness and sheen.
Sauce Bercy---A tart white wine and white peppercorn sauce for chicken, veal and pork. It
will be golden in color when done.
Amount/Measure/Ingredient
1 tbsp. shallots,
chopped fine
2 tsp. butter, clarified
1 branch thyme, about 1/2 tsp. of leaves
½ bay leaf, the size of a nickel
1 tsp. white peppercorns,
crushed not ground
1 cup white wine, chardonnay
1 tbsp. white vinegar
---------
8 ounces
double chicken stock fortified with white veal stock or diluted More Than
Gourmet Classic French Jus de Poulet Lie Gold and Demi-Glace
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. blonde roux,
cooked 4-5 minutes until the roux begins to smell toasty, like toasted
almonds---it will be lightly straw colored
to taste, regular salt
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
Procedure: In a preheated sauce pot saute
the shallots, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns with the butter over low heat,
don't brown the shallots, deglaze with wine and the vinegar, then reduce by
1/2.
Add the fortified stock and simmer slowly to reduce further
and to develop the flavor. Whisk in the roux and simmer for 30 minutes,
skimming as needed. Add salt, check for the thickness
(the sauce should nappe the back of a spoon and hold a line after your
finger draws a line across), then strain and cover with plastic wrap. Just
before serving monté au beurre (whisk in the unsalted butter), this will
enrich the sauce and give it smoothness and sheen.
Sauce Vin Blanc---White wine fish veloute
with cream for all poached and some sauteed fish. This is a base sauce from which you make other sauces.
Amount/Measure/Ingredient
2 tbsp. shallots, chopped fine
2 tsp. butter, clarified
1 branch thyme, about 1/2 tsp. of leaves
½ bay leaf, the size of a nickel
½ tsp.
white peppercorns, crushed not ground
1 cup white wine, chardonnay
---------
2 cups
double fish stock
¼ cup blonde roux,
cooked 4-5 minutes until the roux begins to smell toasty, like toasted
almonds---it will be lightly straw colored
salt to taste, regular salt
1 cup heavy cream,
warm
Sauce Supreme---White wine chicken veloute with cream for sauteed or
poached chicken dishes and some pasta dishes. This is a base sauce from which you make other sauces.
Amount/Measure/Ingredient
1 tbsp. shallots,
chopped fine
1 tsp. butter, clarified
½ bay leaf, the size of a nickel
1 cup white wine, chardonnay
---------
2 cups chicken stock
¼ cup roux,
light colored
salt to taste, regular salt
1 cup heavy cream,
warm
Procedure:
For both sauce vin
blanc and sauce supreme. In a preheated sauce pot saute the shallots, bay
leaf, thyme and peppercorns with the butter over low heat, don't brown the
shallots, deglaze with wine and reduce by 1/2. For the Supreme sauce you
don't have thyme and peppercorns so adjust accordingly.
Add the stock and bring to a boil, thicken with roux in a
separate stainless steel bowl and then add it to the hot stock to thicken, cook for
30 minutes, add salt, then add the cream---simmer very slowly for 10 minutes.
Strain and then cover with plastic wrap and keep warm.
Sauce Bigarade---Traditional orange and lemon sauce used in France for duck.
Amount/Measure/Ingredient
1 tbsp. butter, clarified
2 tbsp. shallots chopped fine
¼ cup mirepoix, fine chop
1 branch fresh thyme
1 quarter size piece bay leaf
1 tsp. black peppercorns crushed
2 cups well roasted duck bones, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 oz red wine, cabernet
4 ounces demi-glace
4 oz. reduced veal stock
or diluted More Than Gourmet Classic French Demi-Glace
2 tbsp. brown
roux, cooked 6-7 minutes until the roux begins to smell toasty, like toasted
hazelnuts---it will be the color of walnuts
2 tsp. salt, regular salt
2 oz. red wine
2 ounce cider vinegar
4 ounces granulated sugar
4 ounces frozen OJ concentrate
2 ounces lemon juice
¼ cup Grand
Marinier
2 oz. unsalted butter
1 tbsp. orange skins, white pith
removed and julienned very thin, blanched to remove bitter oils
1 tbsp.
lemon skins, white pith removed and julienned very thin, blanched to remove
bitter oils
Procedure: In a hot pan over medium heat add the butter, shallots and
mirepoix and saut until color starts add the thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns and
pre roasted duck bones. Fry together until golden brown. Deglaze with red wine, add demi-glace and
veal stock---bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 60 minutes, skimming as
needed.
While simmering,
caramelize sugar with vinegar and wine (a gastrique is a classic French
reduction made with vinegar/wine and sugar), add OJ and lemon juice and reduce by 1/2, about 3 ounces liquid should remain when finished. Keep warm and covered with plastic wrap.
Reduce the Grand Mariner by half, burning off the alcohol.
Strain the brown duck sauce into a clean pan
bring to a simmer, skimming as needed, then add the gastrique, the reduced Grand Mariner. Whisk in the butter and add the zests.
Serve with crisp roasted duck or sauteed duck breast. It takes a lot of time to make this sauce but it is worth every drop!
Keep the duck crisp; don't pour the sauce over the duck, rather around or
under it on the serving plate.
Arrabiata Pasta Sauce---
Spicy hot tomato sauce, hot as the devil!
Amount/Measure/Ingredient
1 tbsp. olive oil, extra-virgin
2 tsp. garlic, freshly peeled and chopped
1 can Italian San Marzano tomatoes, (28 ounces) crushed by hand
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (no seeds) or 1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt,
regular salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper, fresh ground
Procedure: Heat the oil in a sauce pan over low heat; add the garlic and
cook for 1 minute, being careful not to let it brown. Add the remaining ingredients, including the tomato juices, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes
uncovered. Serve with fresh chopped parsley sprinkled over. Great with sauteed shrimp and thin spaghetti!
Romanesco Sauce---A fresh uncooked tomato sauce with herbs, nuts,
vinegar, peppers and red wine. Delicious on grilled vegetables and as a dressing for cold pasta salad. Excellent with fish or even a steak!
Amount/Measure/Ingredient
1/4 cup
extra virgin olive oil, 100%, not blended
1 cup of French bread, trimmed of crust, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup sliced almonds, no skin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 tbsp. garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cups roasted red bell pepper, cut in 1 inch pieces
4 cups of ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced, then drained
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. paprika
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup red wine, cabernet
2 tbsp. hazelnut oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. salt, regular salt
2 tablespoon honey
Procedure: Heat the olive oil in pan over medium heat
then and fry the cubes of bread until it is golden. Remove the bread and turn the heat off---save the oil. Toast slivered almonds - about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. In a food
processor chop the croutons, toasted almonds, cayenne, oil (from cooking the bread) and garlic. Puree to a smooth paste. Add red bell pepper, tomatoes, cayenne pepper, paprika,
red wine vinegar, and red wine to other ingredients. Pulse while adding hazelnut oil, EVOO, salt and honey, with processor running. Makes
about 5 cups of sauce. Can be
refrigerated for up to two weeks and frozen for several months.
American BBQ Sauce---Spicy sweet and sour red sauce for any barbecue!
1/4 cup onions,
very finely minced
1 tbsp. garlic, very finely minced
2 tbsp. corn oil
2 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. chili powder
½ cup cider vinegar
1 cup Heinz
ketchup
1 cup tomato juice, plain no seasonings
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Dijon style mustard like Grey Poupon
or Roland
½ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. salt, regular salt
Procedure: Fry the onions in oil until golden but not brown.
Add the paprika and chili powder, followed by the vinegar, bring slowly to a boil. Add the remaining ingredients; reduce the heat and simmer of
30 minutes stirring every few minutes.
Place the pot over a bowl of ice water to cool. Store in glass jars.