The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Getting saucy
The five basic mother sauces can add depth and flavor to nearly any dish
A sauce can make or break dish.
One of the basic skills culinary arts students learn is how to make the five classic cuisine mother sauces: Béchamel, Velouté, Espagnole, Sauce Tomate, and Hollandaise. These are the foundations for other sauces.
Béchamel is used as a base to ⏩ make cheese sauces such as Mornay.
Veloute is used as a base to ⏩ make a white mushroom sauce.
Espagnole is the foundation for ⏩ a brown mushroom sauce or Madeira sauce.
Hollandaise, probably one most ⏩ people have heard of is used to prepare Béarnaise.
Sauce Tomate is the starting ⏩ point for Creole or Provençale sauces.
When dining out, I am often wowed by the sauce served with a dish. Equally important for me is that the sauce doesn’t overpower the natural flavor of the protein, vegetable or starch. I often wonder why some chefs camouflage a fresh piece of a delicate fish with too much sauce. For this reason, I usually ask for the sauce on the side.
It is thought that in ancient times, sauces were used to hide the taste of the main ingredient; remember refrigeration didn’t exist and perhaps the sauce’s function was to cover up the lack of freshness of the food.
I know many of us don’t have the time, energy or fresh ingredients, so we turn to frozen packaged meals, takeout and boring standbys. Dinner can be brought up a notch by adding bold flavor on those busy weeknights. “The Make-Ahead Sauce Solution,” by Elisabeth Bailey (2018, Storey Publishing, $16.95) may become your new best-kitchen buddy with its freezer-friendly sauces. Spend a couple of hours over the weekend preparing several sauces and you will have a selection to make tasty weeknight meals easier to prepare. The sauce recipes will transform other ingredients into flavorful dishes and can be frozen in serving-size portions and used on demand. What I found useful is that each sauce recipe is accompanied by a reference chart showing a range of meal possibilities. Accompanying the sauce with pasta, chicken, fish, beef, baked potato, vegetables and even tofu can result in a delicious meal. The author provides details on proper freezing, thawing and reheating techniques.
No matter what flavor profile you crave, you will find just the right sauce.
With these recipes for Chimichurri and Thai Peanut, to Creole, All-American BBQ, Yellow Curry, Lemon Egg, Harissa and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (this recipe at https://bit.ly/2XJo5OH will elevate your everyday meals and please your family’s palates).
Thai peanut sauce
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1½ cups smooth peanut butter
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 red bell peppers, cored and thinly
sliced
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
Red pepper flakes (optional) Combine the broth, peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and oil in a medium mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly. Add the bell peppers, cilantro, and pepper flakes to taste, if desired. Toss to combine.
To freeze, cool sauce in refrigerator before transferring to containers for freezing; freeze in BPA-free, resealable plastic bags that are labeled freezer bags. After filling bags, remove as much air as possible; Date and label bags. according to the directions. The sauce will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To serve, allow sauce to defrost in refrigerator. When ready to make dinner, pour the sauce from the bag into a saucepan and warm over medium heat until it is hot throughout. You can also go from freezer to stove. Transfer sauce from bag to a saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring gently but often, until thawed. Increase heat to medium and finish heating. Enjoy it on any one of the bases. It’s also good cold. Makes about 5 cups.
Thai peanut sauce meals to make BASE QUANTITY MEAL SUGGESTION
Pasta: 1½ cups sauce per pound of pasta. Spoon sauce over rice noodles. Garnish with shredded carrots, sliced red bell peppers and chopped peanuts. Serve with mango salad.
Potato: 2/3 cup sauce per potato. Spoon sauce over potato. Top with bean sprouts and toasted coconut. Serve with green salad.
Rice: ½ cup sauce per cup of cooked rice. Spoon sauce over rice. Top with minced fresh cilantro and diced red bell pepper.
Tofu: 1 cup sauce per 14-ounce package of tofu. Spoon sauce over pan-fried tofu. Serve with white rice and sliced papaya.
Chicken: 1 cup sauce per pound of chicken. Spoon sauce over sliced chicken. Top with chopped peanuts. Serve with brown rice and steamed sliced carrots.
Shrimp and scallops: 1 cup sauce per pound of shrimp/scallops Toss pan-fried shrimp with sauce. Serve with rice noodles and sautéed Asian greens.
Pork: 1 cup sauce per pound of pork. Spoon sauce over sliced pork. Top with chopped peanuts. Serve with soba noodles and roasted mixed bell peppers.
Beef: 1 cup sauce per pound of beef. Spoon sauce over sliced beef. Top with chopped peanuts. Serve with diced potatoes and spinach salad.
Soup: 3½ cups sauce, 1 cup coconut milk, and 1½ cups chicken broth per 4-serving pot. Top with chopped peanuts, diced red bell pepper, and crispy chow mein noodles.
Chimichurri
The headnote says, “Colorful, flavorful, and fun to say quickly three times, chimichurri is a traditional Argentinean sauce and marinade. It pairs well with Italian food as well as Central and South American cuisines.”
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 head garlic, cloves minced or
pressed 1 large onion, finely diced 1 jalapeño, minced
1 cup fresh cilantro
½ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup fresh oregano
1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
Combine the vinegar, salt, garlic, onion, and jalapeño in a medium mixing bowl. Cover and let rest for at least 20 minutes to allow the vegetables to begin pickling and the flavors to meld.
In the meantime, mince the cilantro, parsley, and oregano. Add the herbs to the pickling vegetables and stir to combine. Stir in the oil.
Freeze according to the directions on recipe above. . The sauce will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To serve, follow the directions on recipe above to heat your sauce, then enjoy it on any one of the bases. Makes about 5 cups.
Chimichurri meals to make
BASE QUANTITY MEAL SUGGESTION
Poultry: ½ cup sauce per pound of chicken. Spoon sauce over sliced chicken. Serve with tortillas and roasted corn.
Shrimp and scallops: ½ cup sauce per pound of shrimp/scallops. Spoon sauce over pan-fried scallops. Serve with corn bread and roasted mixed bell peppers.
Pork: ½ cup sauce per pound of pork. Spoon sauce over sliced pork. Serve with white rice and green salad.
Beef: ½ cup sauce per pound of beef. Spoon sauce over sliced beef. Serve with French fries and tomato salad.
Culinary calendar
⏩ Consiglio’s Cooking Demonstration and Dinner: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Consiglio’s Restaurant, 165 Wooster St., New Haven, 203-865-4489 (reservations required), $75 (beverages, tax and gratuity not included). https://bit.ly/2Nd0xAg Menu: Pizzagaina — Italian ham pie (Easter pie), creamy risotto with peas and asparagus, bone- in, center-cut pork chops Scarpiello, zeppolis
⏩ Shenanigans Irish Festival, Saturday, noon-8 p.m. Stony Creek Brewery, 5 Indian Neck Ave., Branford, Live music, dancing, games, a special Irish ale and Skyscraper Sandwich food truck selling Irish fare and Oak Haven Table & Bar will have a pop-up selling Irish food. Event is 21+ with valid ID. Tickets $20 includes admission, one beer and a commemorative stein. Details and tickets at https://bit.ly/2Up1zIN
⏩ Seafood 101, Saturday, 6:30-9 p.m., Chef ’s Emporium, 449 Boston Post Road, Orange, $89.99. Reservations, 203-799-2665, https://bit.ly/2UeWLpr Chef Daniel Brelsford will show you proper seafood cooking techniques. Menu: New England clam chowder, lobster sliders with a tarragon slaw, pan-seared scallops with crispy green beans and potato puree.
⏩ CT Craft Beer Fest, presented by CT Brewers Guild. March 23, noon-3 p.m., or 5-8 p.m., Oakdale Theatre, 95 S. Turnpike Road, Wallingford, General admission $35 per session, VIP includes 4 p.m. entry into session No. 2 where you’ll sample exclusive vintage, barrel-aged and special brews not available during general admission. Designated driver $15. Sixty-plus Connecticut breweries and food for purchase. For participating breweries and tickets, visit www.universe.com /events/2019-ct-craft-beer-festtickets-wallingford-17D4LG
⏩ Grilling Workshop, April 3, 6:30-9 p.m., Chef ’s Emporium, 449 Boston Post Road, Orange, $65. Reservations 203-799-2665, https://bit.ly/2EFD2sq We’ll review basics of grilling and learn to grill a steak to mouth-watering perfection. You’ll prepare a grilled hangar steak and for dessert, a grilled peach melba a la mode. Although we have chef knives to use in our kitchen, we strongly suggest participants bring their own chefs knives to use during the class.