02/12/2022
Mother sauce" refers to any one of five basic sauces, which are the starting points for making various secondary sauces or "small sauces." They're called mother sauces because each one is like the head of its own unique family.
Béchamel
You may know béchamel sauce as the white sauce that gives chicken pot pie its creamy texture, or as the binder for all that cheese in macaroni and cheese. The sauce is also used to make scalloped potatoes, lasagne, and gravy. In classical cuisine, béchamel may be poured over fish, eggs, or steamed chicken.
Velouté means velvet in French, and that is the texture you will find with this original mother sauce. To make a velouté, cooks create a roux with butter and flour, and then add clear stock. Chicken, turkey, and fish stock are most commonly used, but these days, you will also find a vegetarian velouté.
Espagnole
This dark brown sauce, one of Carême's original mother sauces, gives that signature richness to boeuf bourguignon, lamb, duck, veal, and other hearty dishes. Espagnole is the basis for demi-glace, sauce Robert, and bordelaise sauce.
Sauce tomate, or tomato sauce, bears slight resemblance to the Italian style tomato sauce served with pasta. This mother sauce is often served on top of pastas (especially gnocchi) or polenta, or with grilled meat or vegetables. In Carême's day, sauce tomato was thickened with a roux, but this is no longer the case.
Hollandaise
You may recognize Hollandaise sauce from eggs benedict or as a topping for lightly steamed asparagus. The sauce can also accompany richer foods, like meats. Like sauce tomat, this sauce was a later addition to Carême's list.
