James Peterson

Special Flavors and Finishes for Fish Sauces

Appears in
top 1000Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making
Sauces

By James Peterson

Published 1991

  • About
Hot emulsified sauces work well with fish and shellfish. Fish sauces are traditionally based on fish stock (usually reduced or thickened with roux) or the natural cooking liquid derived from cooking the fish itself (integral sauces). Fish stock, because it is usually made with fish bones, often has a fishy taste instead of the delicate sea-like flavor that gives fish sauces their finesse and vitality.

To impart a natural sea-like flavor to a hot emulsified sauce, several ingredients and techniques can be used. One technique, discussed below, is to prepare a sabayon with the cooking liquid from the fish. The sauce is then seasoned and served as a light, almost fat-free sabayon, or butter is added in the style of a more traditional sauce. Such a sauce is a sauce vin blanc.