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Sauces
Also searched as: sauce, gravy, jus, dressing, vinaigrette
In short: Almost every sauce is one of three things: an of fat and water, a liquid thickened with starch, or a reduced juice.
Picture it
Three tools in the box: a whisk (emulsion), paste (starch) and a pot (reduction). If you know which one you are using, you also know what can go wrong.
What happens
Emulsions such as mayonnaise, vinaigrette or hollandaise hold fat droplets in water. Starch sauces such as béchamel or a jus get thick because starch granules swell. become concentrated and silky because water evaporates and gelatine remains.
Why it matters
Every sauce problem belongs to one of the three groups. Curdled, split, lumpy or thin: the principle shows the fix.
Rules of thumb
- Emulsion: fat slowly, temperature under control, a go-between such as egg yolk or mustard.
- Starch: mix it in cold, bring to the boil once.
- Reduction: reduce first, season only at the very end.
Sources · 2
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004), Kapitel Saucen, Eier
- LibreTexts (Kansas State University): Roux and Thickening