April Sunday School: Mother Sauces

Sunday School: The Five Mother Sauces 

Light appetizers will be offered

Objective: By the end of the class, students will have a thorough understanding of the five mother sauces, their significance in classical French cuisine, and the skills to prepare each sauce from scratch.  
 
Introduction to Sauces 

• Overview: What are the mother sauces and why are they important? 

• Historical Context: Origin of the five mother sauces in French cuisine. 

• Essential Tools & Ingredients: Stockpots, whisks, roux, stocks, etc. 

The Sauces 
 
1. Béchamel  

• Key Components: Milk, butter, flour (roux) 

• Demonstration: Making a classic béchamel sauce. 

• Discussion: Variations like Mornay (cheese sauce) and cream-based derivatives. 

• Food: Herbed Cheese Sauce and Crab Mac-n-Cheese 

2. Velouté  

• Key Components: Stock (chicken, veal, or fish) and roux 

• Demonstration: Preparing velouté. 

• Discussion: Derivatives like Sauce Suprême, Normandy Sauce, and Allemande Sauce. 

• Food: Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Velouté 

3. Espagnole 

• Key Components: Brown stock, brown roux, tomato, and mirepoix 

• Demonstration: Building a rich Espagnole sauce. 

• Discussion: Sauce Bordelaise, Sauce Robert, and other brown sauce derivatives. 

• Food: Pork Tenderloin with Sauce Robert 

4. Sauce Tomat (Tomato Sauce) 

• Key Components: Tomatoes, stock, aromatics (garlic, onions), and seasoning 

• Demonstration: Making a classic French tomato sauce. 

• Discussion: Marinara and variations like Sauce Creole or Provençal Sauce. 

• Food: Baked Cod with Puttanesca Sauce 

5. Hollandaise 

• Key Components: Butter, egg yolks, lemon juice 

• Demonstration: Emulsifying hollandaise sauce. 

• Discussion: Béarnaise and variations like Mousseline or Maltaise. 

• Food: Roasted Broccoli with Dijon Hollandaise