Stocks & Sauces

Appears in
top 1000French
French

By Damien Pignolet

Published 2005

  • About

The foundation of French savoury cooking is stocks derived from meat, poultry, game, fish and vegetables. Stocks are the basis of many soups and hot sauces while they contribute to the formation of a sauce in braising, poaching and sautéing. Most stocks need lengthy cooking and frequent skimming to cleanse the liquid of impurities. Partial Clarification of the stock will occur naturally with slow cooking and skimming to produce a first-grade result.

The role of any sauce is to moisten a dish, supporting it with either a contrast or parallel. An obvious example is roast pork and apple sauce, while hollandaise sauce marries the richness of the poached eggs, ham and soft toasted muffin in eggs Benedict. In this chapter I have attempted to offer both simple and complex sauces that will satisfy as much in their construction as in their enjoyment. There is a certain feeling of achievement in following the classic instructions; however, I have amended the recipes of a few sauces to make them easier. The essential foundation stocks still need careful attention to produce a fine sauce.