Savvy Sauce Recipes – Advanced Sauce Techniques

Those of you who read last week’s blog on sauce recipes will have realized that sauces, in their classic forms, can be tricky, time consuming, possibly expensive, to make and certainly no friend to any type of diet. On the other hand, those of you who read the posting two weeks ago will know that sauce basics are essential to many recipes and I consider them a valuable, kitchen tool. So what is the real story? Well, with apologies to my purist colleague, who objected to my “loose interpretation,” I feel I have presented sauces in their true forms and can now proceed with discussing my approach to them in practical every day cooking.

Before I go on, let’s take a look at why I consider an understanding of sauces important. Everyone knows sauces can dress up a dish, but they can also unobtrusively save one. They mask dried food, camouflage something that, perhaps, didn’t turn out so well, and dress up leftovers from entrees to desserts. For anyone who uses diluted soup as the foundation of a recipe,  not to insult the soup industry, but please take a look at the ingredients on the side of the can. Can they compete with a bit of butter, some flour, milk and salt to taste? Making a sauce takes about the same time as mixing the soup, and at the current prices, costs the same or less!

When it comes to modifying sauces to suit a healthier way of eating, I kinda have a head start. I had severe food allergies as a child to dairy products. I could have small portions of skim milk, butter and hard curd cheeses like Parmesan and Swiss, but that was all. At the time, sauces were popular. My Mother had to adapt recipes to my diet or cook separate meals for me. She learned to adapt. Though I outgrew the allergies, she continued to cook that way because she had realized it was better for the family well being. Consequently, most of the “favorites” she passed on to me were already “healthy” and I have stayed on the same road.

On the other hand, it’s nice to have the classic sauce recipes for those special occasions when you want to splurge. It’s also helpful to be able to consult them, in their original form, when you want to convert a sauce, or create a healthier version of it, to fit a specific dish.

The easiest sauce to make, Bechamel or White Sauce, is also the easiest to alter. In its pure form it can be made with skim milk, which is a calorie cut right there. So is using juice, wine and broth for part or all of the liquid. This brings it into the realm of the Veloute Sauce family. The Veloute is the leanest of the 3 light mother sauces, without its finishing “liaison” of 2 egg yolks and 3 Tbs, crème fraiche or sour cream and in most of its forms is interchangeable with Bernaise. Hence, the first step in modifying a sauce is in choosing a liquid that best suits the recipe you’re cooking, or, if you’re winging it, most enhances the ingredients in the recipe. The milk in the Bechamel and the liaison in the Veloute give them their white appearance and rich taste. To achieve these effects with a modified sauce, replace 3 Tbs, of the liquid with 3 Tbs. evaporated skim milk, or add 3 Tbs. Lite Sour Cream, per the basic 2 cup formula, at the end. Be careful with this last choice and only heat the sauce through. Even a simmer will cause it to separate and curdle.

To reduce the fat in these sauces, the best bet is to use “Slurry”rather than a “Roux”. The roux or paste which is the foundation of these light sauces doesn’t work properly with a reduced fat/flour ratio. (Please consult either of the last two postings on Sauces.) Substituting a regular margarine isn’t an improvement, and any oil will up the caloric count. The best suggestion is to use one of the “lite” margarines. If the fat content is really a problem, eliminate it all together and thicken the sauce with a slurry. If you want to give the finished sauce a silky, smooth appearance, add a thin sliver of butter at the end as a finish, provided it isn’t a dietary hazard. Moreover, the flour/liquid ratio of slurry can be changed to thicken or thin it to desired consistency.  Simply increase the amount of flour to add more body.

Of course the choice of herbs, and/or spices and/or seasonings is most helpful in achieving the desired result. It’s amazing how a bit of tarragon, for example can glamorize a sauce for seafood or chicken in some entrees, or a touch of garlic perhaps, or even a bit more salt and/or pepper can boost taste. Just a bit can go a long way toward making the flavor of an altered sauce as satisfying as the real thing.

The same general principles hold when making the Demi-Glace. Classically 1/8 lb. or 4 Tbs. of butter is required. If that’s a problem you can cut back on the butter and add a bit of stock, or sauté the vegetables in a bit of canola oil and stock. You can even simmer them until soft in 1 cup stock, allowing it to reduce to about ¼ cup before adding the sugar. This is an important step, because the vegetables should caramelize, without burning to give the stock its color, and a tricky one without a little fat to prevent sticking to the pan. But Hey! Just to show you how this altering sauce stuff works, suppose you skip this step. Just add a bit of sugar for the tinge of taste, or don’t if that’s a problem too, and stir in a bit of brown coloring right before the flour.(I like Kitchen Bouquet)Then go on with the rest of the recipe. The taste and texture will be the same in the finished sauce, just a little less rich and silky.(See last week’s posting for full recipe.)

Hollandaise is a difficult sauce to imitate, but there are several powdered mixes on the market that do a pretty good job and allow for experimentation with liquid add-ins to fit different diets. Personally, I’ve found a light mayonnaise, with, first, some sour cream whipped in, then ½ tsp. per cup, of lemon juice or zest quite a good substitute.  The proportion depends on the specific use, but generally 1/4th to 1/3rd parts cream to the mayonnaise and ½ tsp. sherry per cup, is an optional finish, is good. For an offspring of the basic sauce such as Bernaise, simply prepare the add-ins as for Hollandaise, strain the reduced liquid into the mayo mixture and finish according to the recipe. This method works quite well because Hollandaise is never served hotter than lukewarm, so room temperature is fine. Some mayonnaise, such as Hellman’s do heat, and that’s another option before adding the cream, but be careful because sour cream curdles with heat.

Mayonnaise as a sauce is all about add-ins as finishes. Moreover, the classic recipe is dangerous nowadays because it contains raw eggs. So the obvious answer here is to choose a brand you like and add the ingredients that make the different variations as you need them. With all the types on the market today, lite, low-fat, olive oil, salad dressing style, it’s hard not to find one that suits your taste and requirements.

Tomato Sauce, like mayonnaise, is far easier and less expensive, now, to buy than to make. There are all sorts of flavors available. If you want to try any of the classic variations, start with a basic, plain tomato sauce, or, if you want to start from scratch and create one to suit your personal preference, buy canned, crushed tomatoes. I do this and  have written my own meat sauce recipe below.

As for the Butter Sauces, well that’s a bit more of a problem, because butter is unique in taste and in the effects it creates in cooking. There are many imitations out there, claiming to be able to do everything  butter can, but not one of them is successful across the board. Some seed and nut oils can be mixed with other ingredients to create quite tasty substitutions for the hot butter sauces, but my advice is to present them as what they are, not try to pass them off as butter. Compounds are a bit more forgiving. Some margarine’s are fairly close to butter in taste, and mixed with distinctly flavored ingredients, like anchovies or capers make quite acceptable substitutes, but most cooks agree, nothing browns like butter, or really can replace butter. Sometimes, therefore, it’s better to go in an entirely different direction. For example,  make a light sauce of a slurry and stock, and add the ingredients for the butter sauce of your choice. Or make an entirely different sauce based on a Volute or mayonnaise, to serve in place of the butter sauce. You might even prefer the change.

We’ve discussed altering sauces to fit dietary needs, be they cosmetic, medical or simply a wish to eat in a healthier manner by reducing or replacing butter, cream and eggs. For those of you out there who have gluten issues, cornstarch is an option, but there are also all types of flours  available now that are wheat free.  For complete information on different flours, please look up my posting Facts of Basics-Flour on 10/9/12 in the blog archives. In fact that month October 2012 has a series of postings on substitutions of other ingredients, sugar, eggs, milk and fats that you might find pertinent to the subject of altering sauces, over and above what I’ve written here.

Below are some of the recipes I like using sauces adjusted to fit today’s demand for lighter, healthier meals:

TOMATO SAUCE WITH MEAT; Serves 4 generously
½ lb. Italian sausage out of casings – hot or mild optional
½ lb. ground beef
(1) 28oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 Tbs. oil
2 medium carrots sliced paper thin
2/3 cup raisons
Oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and red pepper flakes to taste
Cook the meat in a pan until no longer pink. Drain fat. Add all the other ingredients to the pot and simmer until carrots and raisons are cooked to very soft- about 45 mins. Adjust seasonings and cook until flavors meld. This is better the second day. Keeps for 5 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen. Use as a sauce over meat, vegetables, rice and pasta, or use in casseroles and in lasagna.

VARIATIONS ON BECHAMEL-VELOUTE SAUCES;
1) Chicken a la King :
2 whole chicken breasts, split, boned skinned or equivalent amount of leftover chicken or turkey meat
(1) 4 oz can mushroom caps – larger  ones cut in  half- drained, liquid reserved
(1) 2.5oz can sliced ripe olives OR half a can of Jumbo Ripe Olives cut in half lengthwise
4 jarred fire-roasted red peppers in wide julienne
6 Tbs. flour
2 cups milk + mushroom water and milk to equal a third
1 envelope or 1 Tbs. chicken bouillon granules – or more is wanted
Pinch garlic powder and pinch curry powder – both optional—salt and pepper to taste
sliver of butter-optional
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Poach chicken. Dissolve flour in liquids, add seasonings and bouillon, and stirring constantly,  bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue stirring until thickened about 3 mins. Gently add chicken, remaining ingredients, except the parsley and heat through. Add butter at the end to smooth if needed.
Serve hot in prepared patty shells or over toast points, garnished with parsley

2) Wine Sauce: For two cups sauce
1 cup milk
1 cup white wine
4 Tbs. flour
Dissolve flour in liquid and proceed as above.

A) Mushrooms in Wine Sauce: Serves 4
1 sauce recipe as given above
1 1/2 lb. white button mushrooms—if possible pick them by hand to get large ones of equal size so they cook evenly
(8) ½ inch slices of a good artesian wheat bread or Jewish rye- lightly toasted
Marjoram, salt and pepper to taste
Wash mushrooms and separate stems. Chop stems and reserve. Lightly coat caps with cooking spray or in a sliver of melted butter and place on a cookie sheet under a pre-heated broiler. Broil until golden on top and flip. Cook until mushrooms release juice. Save juice if possible. Meanwhile re-heat sauce, adding seasonings and stems.  Place 2 toast slices on each plate, dividing them if necessary. Arrange Mushroom caps on bread, top side up. Add any remaining juice to sauce and spoon over the mushrooms. Garnish with dried marjoram. Serve at once with glasses of chilled white wine.

B) Hot Open Monte Cristo with Wine Sauce: Serves 4
1 sauce recipe as given above
8 slices of bread as described above
8 slices of ham
8 slices of cheese- Swiss or Provolone
8 slices or pieces of cooked chicken or turkey
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Make sauce. Place 2 slices of bread on each plate, Top each bread slice with one of ham, one of cheese and one of turkey. Stir mustard into warm sauce and spoon over open sandwiches. Serve while  hot.

A VERSION OF HOLLANDAISE:
Stuffed Peppers: Serves 2—easily multiplied
2 medium green bell peppers halved lengthwise, cutting around stem
4 hot dogs
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup sour cream
Finely chop the hot dogs- I use a mini grinder but a processer will do. Stuff the peppers apportioning 1 hot dog per pepper half. Cook the peppers in a pan with about ½ inch of water, in a preheated 350 deg. oven, until meat is browning on top and peppers look a bit wilted, about 45 mins. Just before peppers are done, heat 1 cup mayonnaise in a sauce-pan or microwave until warm and slightly more fluid Stir in mustard. When combined add sour cream and stir until sauce is smooth. Plate peppers and spoon sauce over. Serve at once.
For a luncheon, I serve this with sliced beefsteak tomatoes and corn muffins. For dinner, try French fried sweet potatoes and coleslaw.

As I’ve been writing this posting, I took time to poach salmon filets and make a dressing of mayonnaise, sour cream and dried dill weed.  It’s been chilling for a couple of hours to meld the flavors and it’s about time I put dinner on the table.  Oh! For dessert, I pureed some fresh peaches to use as a coulis—another use for the mini-chopper. I’ll drizzle it around some slices of leftover pound cake topped with whipped cream. Sauces can make your life so easy if you only get to know them!