Sauces

[matrignano]

I like to think I'm reasonably handy in a kitchen, but I'm utterly useless at sauces.
Not pasta sauces (I'm Italian so obviously an expert in that field!), I mean the French type variety.

I tried making a saffron sauce the other day, followed a recipe to the letter, and it came out an inedible mess.

Can someone please suggest a few simple sauce recipes that I can practice with? Preferably not too buttery.

[Melman Giraffe]

Here is a simple peppercorn sauce for Steak

Ingredients

2 to 3 tablespoons peppercorns
60g butter
1 shallot, minced
100ml brandy
100ml beef stock
60ml double cream
Method

1. Crush the peppercorns slightly, either using a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the shallots and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the brandy and boil for another 3 minutes. Add beef stock and boil another 3 minutes.
3. Finally, add the cream and reduce the heat to medium. Heat through, but don't allow the peppercorn sauce to boil. Once the sauce is at your desired thickness, test for seasoning. Add salt if necessary, then serve with your favourite steak.

[TIGA84]

I think a lot of classical sauces are very dependant on the ability to reduce liquids properly and accurately, along with using really good stocks and constantly tasting - its not easy that's for sure, especially if you've not tasted what it should be like in the first place and at what stage it tasted right. The wrong heat at the wrong time will screw it pretty quick, and often there are many stages to making a good one so don't feel bad.

Get Larousse and practice is all I can say, there are a lot of base sauces that change with simple additions (bearnaise/hollandaise etc) so get them right and the rest should follow with the fancier stuff.

Always use double cream in a sauce that requires cream is my one piece of advice.

I'm rubbish by the way.

[matrignano]

Melman Giraffe said:

3. Finally, add the cream and reduce the heat to medium. Heat through, but don't allow the peppercorn sauce to boil. Once the sauce is at your desired thickness, test for seasoning. Add salt if necessary, then serve with your favourite steak.

Thanks, will try that.

The saffron sauce I messed up recently had a similar last step. When I poured the cream it curdled almost immediately. Do I have to lower the heat before pouring the cream?

[TIGA84]

matrignano said:

Melman Giraffe said:

3. Finally, add the cream and reduce the heat to medium. Heat through, but don't allow the peppercorn sauce to boil. Once the sauce is at your desired thickness, test for seasoning. Add salt if necessary, then serve with your favourite steak.

Thanks, will try that.

The saffron sauce I messed up recently had a similar last step. When I poured the cream it curdled almost immediately. Do I have to lower the heat before pouring the cream?

Was it single cream or double?

[21TonyK]

Just google "mother sauces". Once you nail these 99% of everything else is a derivative.

High fat content is cream always seems to cure most problems and a very high speed blender will sort out any oil emulsions.

It really is just practice, attention to detail and taking a lot of care.

[matrignano]

TIGA84 said:

Was it single cream or double?

The recipe called for creme freche. It curdled immediately into several tiny lumps rather than incorporating into the stocky liquid.

[TIGA84]

matrignano said:

The recipe called for creme freche. It curdled immediately into several tiny lumps rather than incorporating into the stocky liquid.

I'd have whisked the crap out of it to emulsify it again, either that or it wasn't high enough in fat content - light creme fraiche by any chance?

[Weirdhead]

Melman Giraffe said:

Here is a simple peppercorn sauce for Steak

Ingredients

2 to 3 tablespoons peppercorns
60g butter
1 shallot, minced
100ml brandy
100ml beef stock
60ml double cream
Method

1. Crush the peppercorns slightly, either using a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the shallots and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the brandy and boil for another 3 minutes. Add beef stock and boil another 3 minutes.
3. Finally, add the cream and reduce the heat to medium. Heat through, but don't allow the peppercorn sauce to boil. Once the sauce is at your desired thickness, test for seasoning. Add salt if necessary, then serve with your favourite steak.

When do you add the peppercorns to the sauce? If I follow your instructions I'll have a brandy cream sauce and some crushed peppercorns in my mortar

[Melman Giraffe]

Weirdhead said:

Melman Giraffe said:

Here is a simple peppercorn sauce for Steak

Ingredients

2 to 3 tablespoons peppercorns
60g butter
1 shallot, minced
100ml brandy
100ml beef stock
60ml double cream
Method

1. Crush the peppercorns slightly, either using a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the shallots and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the brandy and boil for another 3 minutes. Add beef stock and boil another 3 minutes.
3. Finally, add the cream and reduce the heat to medium. Heat through, but don't allow the peppercorn sauce to boil. Once the sauce is at your desired thickness, test for seasoning. Add salt if necessary, then serve with your favourite steak.

When do you add the peppercorns to the sauce? If I follow your instructions I'll have a brandy cream sauce and some crushed peppercorns in my mortar

After the Brandy just before the beef stock so the flavor infuses, Green peppercorns can be quite punchy so be careful and taste as you go

[TeeRev]

Melman Giraffe said:

Weirdhead said:

Melman Giraffe said:

Here is a simple peppercorn sauce for Steak

Ingredients

2 to 3 tablespoons peppercorns
60g butter
1 shallot, minced
100ml brandy
100ml beef stock
60ml double cream
Method

1. Crush the peppercorns slightly, either using a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the shallots and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the brandy and boil for another 3 minutes. Add beef stock and boil another 3 minutes.
3. Finally, add the cream and reduce the heat to medium. Heat through, but don't allow the peppercorn sauce to boil. Once the sauce is at your desired thickness, test for seasoning. Add salt if necessary, then serve with your favourite steak.

When do you add the peppercorns to the sauce? If I follow your instructions I'll have a brandy cream sauce and some crushed peppercorns in my mortar

After the Brandy just before the beef stock so the flavor infuses, Green peppercorns can be quite punchy so be careful and taste as you go

My pepper sauce is made in pretty much the same way but I add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard just after the brandy, it just sharpens the flavour up a little bit.

[Melman Giraffe]

TeeRev said:

Melman Giraffe said:

Weirdhead said:

Melman Giraffe said:

Here is a simple peppercorn sauce for Steak

Ingredients

2 to 3 tablespoons peppercorns
60g butter
1 shallot, minced
100ml brandy
100ml beef stock
60ml double cream
Method

1. Crush the peppercorns slightly, either using a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the shallots and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the brandy and boil for another 3 minutes. Add beef stock and boil another 3 minutes.
3. Finally, add the cream and reduce the heat to medium. Heat through, but don't allow the peppercorn sauce to boil. Once the sauce is at your desired thickness, test for seasoning. Add salt if necessary, then serve with your favourite steak.

When do you add the peppercorns to the sauce? If I follow your instructions I'll have a brandy cream sauce and some crushed peppercorns in my mortar

After the Brandy just before the beef stock so the flavor infuses, Green peppercorns can be quite punchy so be careful and taste as you go

My pepper sauce is made in pretty much the same way but I add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard just after the brandy, it just sharpens the flavour up a little bit.

Nice touch will give that a go