The Basic Sauces Used in French Cuisine

What is a Sauce?

A sauce is a liquid condiment that accompanies certain foods and can also be used as a cooking liquid. Sauces are usually based on vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meats, or starches. Sauces may also contain flavourings such as herbs, spices, or wine. Sauces can be classified by their consistency, such as thin, medium, and thick. Other classifications include simple and complex. A sauce is not the same as a marinade. A marinade is a liquid used to season meat before cooking. Sauces don’t generally get their flavour from marinades, though they may contain ingredients that naturally impart certain flavours.

What is a Basic Sauce?

A basic sauce is one of the most important sauces you can learn. It can be used for almost any type of food. Perhaps one of the most popular types of basic sauces is pan sauce. Pan sauce is a type of sauce that gets its name from the fact that it is typically served in a pan. It is usually made from butter, flour, chicken broth, some type of herbs, and sometimes cream. It is commonly served with chicken and potatoes.

Thickening Agents

Thickening agents are used to increase the volume of liquids without increasing their calories. They do this by transforming liquids into solids. There are different types of thickening agents, and they are all developed to add more flavour to sauces, while not adding any extra fat. The most common thickening agents are corn starch, flour, arrowroot, and xanthan gum.

Vegetable Sauces

Vegetable sauces are made from vegetables, but only a small amount of flavoring is used. For instance, tomato paste is a common vegetable sauce, but it does not contain any tomato flavour. Vegetable sauces are great for healthy eating. When you want to add flavour to vegetables, you can do so easily with a vegetable sauce. Most vegetable sauces are healthy because they contain few ingredients.

Meat Sauce

Meat sauces are a bit different from vegetable and other vegetable sauces. While vegetable sauces are flavoured with herbs or other flavourings, meat sauces contain only meat. Meat sauces are great for those who love hearty meals, like stews and braises. The main flavour of a meat sauce is often the meat itself, but it also contains herbs that are used in various cuisines. Therefore, every meat sauce is unique and can be used with virtually any type of meat.

Egg Sauces

Egg sauces are made with eggs, and they are the most common sauces used with eggs. Egg sauces are used for omelettes, pastas, and other dishes that normally contain eggs. They can be used as a dipping sauce, too. The tasty yellow colour of most egg sauces comes from turmeric, which has a sour flavour. Egg sauces can help improve the taste of eggs, as well as make them easier to cook.

Red and White Sauces

Red and white sauces are often used to create red and white sauces. A red sauce is made from tomatoes and is often spiced. A white sauce is made from cheese and is often spiced. They are meant to be the components of a pasta dish, or served as a dip for bread. These sauces are often served with bread, but they are also great for vegetables and other dips.

Baking Sauces

Baking sauces are often sweet and sour, as well as other flavours. Baking sauces are great additions to many different types of food. They commonly contain honey, vinegar, and other flavours. Baking sauces are commonly used in sandwiches and other types of meals that have bread as a main ingredient.

Final Tips

Now that you know about the basics of French cooking, you are ready to learn more about French cuisine. There is a wide variety of dishes you can make from French cuisine. In this article, you learned about the basics of French cooking, from sauces to grains, vegetables, meats, and more. While sauces are the most popular part of French cuisine, they are not the most important. Grains, vegetables, and meats are just as important to the culture. Additionally, you should not limit yourself to only making French dishes. You can incorporate French cooking techniques and ingredients into your own dishes.