Sauces Emulsifée (Froide et Chaude)

Emulsified sauces are sauces in which an amount of fat, in the form of oil or butter, is introduced into a water-based liquid. Emulsified sauces can be both hot and cold. In this category of sauces the fat is always incorporated off the heat; this step insures that the fat emulsifies rather than just melts. In order to make the fat molecules small enough to mix with the water, the sauce needs to be whisked with a wire whisk when it is being incorporated.

A third important ingredient in emulsified sauces is the presence of a protein that will stabilize the emulsion and keep it from separating, or breaking. The protein in most hot and cold emulsified sauces is egg yolk. Egg yolks contain lecithin, which acts as a stabilizer.