Cookery NCII student copy.docx

1 STOCKS Stocks are thin, flavored liquids derived from meat, fish or poultry bones with vegetables and seasonings. Herbs, spices and atomic vegetables are added to enhance the stock’s flavor. Stocks serve as the bases of many dishes. Stocks are among the most basic preparations found in professiona...

1 STOCKS Stocks are thin, flavored liquids derived from meat, fish or poultry bones with vegetables and seasonings. Herbs, spices and atomic vegetables are added to enhance the stock’s flavor. Stocks serve as the bases of many dishes. Stocks are among the most basic preparations found in professional kitchen. They are referred to in French as fonds de cuisine, or ―the foundation of cooking.” It is a flavorful liquid prepared by simmering meaty bones from meat or poultry, seafood and/or vegetables in water with aromatics until their flavor, aroma, color and body, and nutritive value are extracted. Principles of Preparing Stocks Start with cold water to allow protein and other impurities to be dissolved. Bones for brown stock should be browned or roasted before adding cold water. Use high heat to bring the stock to boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Skim the stock or remove the impurities from the liquid to improve the clarity of the final product. Add aromatic vegetables or mirepoix and spices. Mirepoix enhances the flavor of the stock. Strain the stock. Straining the liquid ensures cleanliness and clarity. A very fine mesh strainer is used to strain in liquid. Let it cool. Store the stock in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for several months. Remove the hardened fat from the surface before reheating. Classifications of Stocks Stocks are classified according to ingredients and color. There are brown stock, chicken stock, fisk stock and white stock. Chicken stock Chicken Stock can be called white stock. It is prepared in the same way as white stock but is simmered for only 2 to 3 hours. The mirepoix is added after the first hours or simmering. Chicken stock must always be strained before using or storing. It is made from the chicken bones. White stock White stock is a colorless stock and is more delicately flavored than brown stock. It is made from beef or veal bones. The bones are not browned. White stock is used as a base in soup and sauces as well as substitute for water. Brown stock Brown stock is made of browned or roasted bones of beef, chicken, veal or game. The bones are oiled lightly and placed in a roasting pan and browned in an oven until golden brown. Tomato, tomato sauce or tomato paste is added to the brown stock to add color and flavor. It is used in many dishes as stews. It is the base for sauces such as mushroom, sauce, espagnole and demi glace Fish stock Fish stock is made from fish bones and trimmings left over after filleting. Cold water containing the bones and trimmings is brought to a boil, skimmed and simmered. Mirepoix and seasoning are added after skimming. Ingredients in Preparing Stocks 1. Bones Most of the flavor and body of stocks are derived from the bones of beef, veal, chicken, fish, and pork. The kinds of bones used determine the kind of stock, except vegetable stock. 2. Mirepoix - is the French term for the combination of coarsely chopped onions, carrots and celery used to flavor stocks. Basic formula for Mirepoix – used to flavor white stocks and soups, tomato paste or puree is often included for brown stock, gravy, stew or soup. ▪ 2 parts onion ▪ 1 part celery ▪ part carrot 3. Acid products - Acid helps dissolve connective tissues, and extract flavor and body from bones. 4. Wine – This is occasionally used. Its flavor contribution is more important than its acidity. 5. Scraps and left-over -Scraps may be used in stocks if they are clear, wholesome, and appropriate to the stock being made. 6. Seasoning and spices 7. Bouquet garni – assortment of fresh herbs and ingredients tied in bundle with string so it can be removed easily from the stock. 8. Tomatoes – add flavor to brown stocks. Overusing will make the stocks cloudy. 9. Meat – The skin or shoulder of a beef or veal are often used. Fresh meat makes an excellent stock. Leftover cooked meat maybe used for richer taste. Guidelines for Preparing Stock 1. Follow the correct procedures for cooling and storing stock and make sure that any stock you use is flavorful and wholesome 2. Follow the cooking time for stock The following are approximately cooking time for different stocks; the time will vary according to numerous factors such as ingredients quality colume and cooking temperature. ❖ White beef stock – 8 to 10 hours ❖ White and brown Veal Game stock – 6 to 8 hours ❖ White poultry and Game bird stocks – 3 to 4 hours ❖ Fish stock – 45 minutes to 1 hour ❖ Vegetables stock – 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the specific ingredients and the size of vegetables cut. 3. The stock ingredients are boiled starting with cold water. This promotes the extraction of protein which may be sealed in by hot water. 4. Stocks are simmered gently, with small bubbles at the bottom but not breaking at the surface. If a stock is boiled, it will be cloudy. 5. Salt is not usually added to a stock, as this causes it to become too salty, since most stocks are preserved to make soup and sauces. 6. Meat is added to the stock before the vegetables and the “ scum” that rises to the surface is skimmed off before further ingredients are added. Preparing Stocks To use bones for stock, you must first cut them to the right size and then prepare them by blanching, browning or sweating. ❖ BLANCHING – to get rid some of the impurities that can cause cloudiness in a stock: cover with col water and bring to a slow boil then remove any floating waste of scum ❖ BROWNING – roast the bones in a hot (400 ˚F) oven for about an hour, until they are golden brown o Cover with water and bring to a simmer – gives a richer flavor and deeper color ❖ SWEATING – causes bone and mirepoix to release flavor more quickly when liquid is added. o Bones or shell are used in fumets. The proteins present in fish bones and shellfish can take on an unacceptable flavor if allowed to cook to long. Degreasing Stock - is the process of removing fat that has cooled and hardened from the surface of the stock - gives othe stock a clearer and purer color and also removes some of the fat content, making the stock more healthful - Degrease stock by skimming, scraping or lifting hard fat. 2 Soups Soups are versatile dishes, for they ca be made and eaten at any time of the day. They are served as appetizer to introduce a meal or can be served as main course for lunch or dinner. Soups are based on stocks added with other ingredients for variety of flavor, consistency, appearance and aroma. A well- prepared soup always makes a memorable impression. Soups offer a full array of flavoring ingredients and garnishing opportunities. Soups also allow the use of trimmings and leftover creatively Classifications of Soups Soups are classified into clear or thin soup, thick soup, cold soup and nationality or specialty soup. A. Thin or Clear Soup They are soups based on a clear, thickened broth or stock. They maybe served plain or garnished with a variety of vegetables and meats. They are very similar to stocks, except that broths are based on meats rather than bones so they are richer and have a more defined flavor. Broths can be used as a liquid in preparing soups. A good quality broth should be clear, aromatic and rich-tasting with a very evident flavor of the major ingredient. One strong and clear broth or stock is a consommé. It is made by combining lean chopped meat, egg whites, mirepoix, herbs and spices and an acidic ingredient like tomatoes, wine, or lemon juice. The combination is called ―clarification‖ since the particles that make the broth appear cloudy are trapped as it cooks. A good quality consommé is crystal – clear, has a good body, amber to brown in color, and completely fat-free. 1. Broth and bouillon simple clear soup without solid ingredients. Broth and bouillon are similar to stock in technique and in cooking time. The major distinction between broth and stock is that broths can be served as is, whereas stocks are used in production of other dishes. 2. Vegetable soup – clear seasoned stock or broth with the addition of one or more vegetable, meat, or poultry. 3. Consommé‘ – rich, flavorful stock or broth that has been clarified to make it perfectly clear and transparent. B. Thick Soups - are soups that are thickened to provide a heavier consistency. Thick soup is a cream soup based on béchamel sauce and is finished with a heavy cream. A béchamel sauce is milk thickened with roux. But some thick soups are velouté sauce-based, stock thickened with roux. A velouté sauce base is usually finished with a liaison of heavy cream egg yolk. A thick soup should have a velvety smooth texture and the thickness of heavy cream. It is always essential to strain out the solids and at times to puree and put back in the soup. Cream soups may be served hot or cold. A kind of cream soup based on crustaceans like shrimps and lobsters is bisque. It is made by simmering a crustacean in a stock or a fish fumet. Another thick vegetable soup is the chowder made with broth, milk or water as base, then thickened with roux. Cold, thick soups such as vichyssoises are simply cream soups served cold. Others like gazpacho or a chilled cantaloupe soup are based on a puree of cooked or raw ingredients brought to the correct consistency by adding fruits or vegetable juice as a liquid 1. Cream soups – are soups thickened with roux, beurre Manie, liaison or other thickening agents, plus milk, or cream. 2. Purees – vegetable soup thickened with starch 3. Bisques – are thickened soups made from shellfish. 4. Chowders – are hearty soups made from fish, shellfish or vegetables usually contain milk and potatoes. 5. Veloutes – soup thickened with egg, butter and cream. C. Cold Soups Cold soups are either cooked or uncooked. They are chilled before serving. Cooked cold soups are prepared hot but served cold. Cream is added to thicken the cooked cold soup after chilling. Vichyssoise is the best example of cooked cold soup. Uncooked cold soups are made with chopped and pureed vegetables or fruits. Cream or yogurt is added to make soups thicker and richer. Gazpacho is a good example of uncooked cold soup. D. Nationality or Specialty Soup These soups originated from a particular geographic area or region. These can be thin or thick. Nationality or Specialty soups form a separate category because of their specific ingredients, methods of preparation and origin. Many specialty soups are served cold. Chowder soup is a thick, chunky and creamy soup originated in New England region of the United States. It is made from fish, shellfish, and vegetables. Bean, Chicken corn and ham are some chowder variants with cream as liquid ingredient. Beque is a thick creamy soup originated in France. This is made of strained broth of seafood (crab, lobster and shrimp). The shells of crustacean are ground and strained and put in with the other ingredients, simmered in wine to create a flavorful stock and thickened with roux. Beque can be made from puree of vegetables or fruits. D. Other types of soup 1. Dessert soup a. Ginataan – a Filipino soup made from coconut milk, milk, fruit, and tapioca pearl served hot or cold. b. Osheriku – a Japanese asuki bean soup c. Tonge sui – a Chinese soup 2. Fruit Soup can be served hot or cold depending on the recipe where dried fruits are used like raisins and prunes. Fruit soup may include milk, sweet or savory dumplings, spices or alcoholic beverages like brandy and champagne. 3. Asian soup is a traditional soup which is typical broth, clear soup, or starch thickened soup. Other thickening agents for soup 1. rice 2. flour 3. grain 4. corn starch Ingredients of soup ✓ Butter ✓ Cream ✓ Onion ✓ Pepper ✓ Meat (chicken, beef, pork, lamb, fish) ✓ Vegetables (carrots, string beans, turnips, tomatoes, mushrooms, celery, leak) ✓ Garnishes (slices of lemon, egg, shredded vegetables, pimiento strips) ✓ Seasoning (MSG, convenience products) ✓ Garlic ✓ Salt ✓ Eggs ✓ Water Basic Principles of Preparing Soup 1stPrinciple. Starting with Cold Water Why cold water? Most protein, vitamins and minerals dissolve in cold water. Part of the flavor comes from these components. Using hot water would lessen the flavor and nutritive content of stock 2ndPrinciple. Cutting vegetable to appropriate size for the type of stock. The size of cut helps the maximum flavor to be extracted. Example 1: A fish stock only simmer for a half hour (30 minutes) so the cut should be julienne (thin strips: ¼ inch thick 2-3 inches long) Example 2: A brown stock simmers for 4-6 hours and sometimes 24 hours, so the cut should be 1‖ cubed so that stock will have time to extract the flavor and will not fall apart after a long cooking. 3rd Principle. Select your protein based. Beef, Chicken, Pork and Fish All bones are washed, roasted or blanched. Roasted for brown sauce and blanched for white stock. 4th Principle. Simmering Gentle extractions aid in flavor and nutrition. Boiling causes cloudiness through agitation of the ingredients. 5th Principle. Skimming Keep the stock clear. The scum on top of stocks contains impurities. COOKING SOUPS Meats, Poultry and Fish Cuts of meat that are less tender should be added early in the cooking process Poultry needs to be added early enough so that it cooks thoroughly Add fish closed to the end of the cooking process to keep it from overcooking. Grains and Pasta Allow a little more time in cooking. Beans and Legumes Soaked beans, lentils and black-eyed peas should be added with the liquid so they will fully cook Dense or starchy vegetables A small-diced cut of potatoes, carrots, and winter squashes will require 30– 45 minutes to cook. Green Vegetables These vegetables should be added during the final 15–20 minutes of cooking the soup Adjusting Consistency Thick soups may continue to thicken during cooking and may need additional. stock or water added to adjust the consistency Degreasing Broth-based soups maybe prepared in advance, cooled, and refrigerated. This facilitates removing of congealed fat from the surface. Skim the top layer of fat from a hot soup with a ladle, alternately. Presenting and Evaluating Soups Soups should be presented in a creative manner, appealing to the diner’s appetite. To achieve this, consider the following factors: 1. Color Contrast or similar in colors of ingredients in preparing soup as appealing to the diners. 2. Consistency A thin soup may be watery because the stock used lacks body. The body in the stock is the gelatin that comes from the bones of animals of thicken agents. (Starches, potatoes, macaroni, rice or pureed vegetables). Fresh meat and poultry are also stock’s body builders. 3.Seasoning Season the soup so the flavor blend. Adding seasonings and spices toward the end of soup preparation ensures maximum flavor. The key to flavored soups is delicacy of seasonings. 4.Garnishes The soup is enriched by the garnish used. It is desirable to garnish soups with croutons or vegetable cuttings or sour cream. 5. Accompaniments To make soup more appealing and flavorful, accompaniment are served with Soups. Any of the following are used as accompaniments to the soup. Bacon bits or strips Croutons Corn Chips Wafers Bread sticks Garlic toast Fried onions Cream Crackers 6. Service Wares Serving, plates, and dishes for serving soups should be properly selected. Soup tureen – This can be a Chinaware, metal or stoneware. It has fixed handles. It is accompanied with ladle and undertray. It is oval or round or rectangular in shape. Bread bowl – Creamy and thick soup can be served in a bread bowl which is hollowed out round loaf of crusty, fine textured bread. This presentation is best for soup served as entrée, and bread is eaten along with the soup. Pumpkin Shell – to make it creative and appealing, instead of using soup tureen or bowl, a pumpkin shell is used to serve pumpkin soup. Shot glass and teacups- Shot glasses are used to serve thin and smooth soup as appetizer at formal dinner or luncheon. For Japanese and Chinese, teacups are used for serving soups. Store and Reconstitute Stocks, Sauces, and Soups MAINTAIN OPTIMUM QUALITY AND FRESHNESS OF STOCKS, SAUCES, AND SOUPS Storage All sauces, with the exception of the butter based emulsion sauces, should be stored below 4°C and covered. Storage time should be less than one week. Storage times of frozen sauces should not exceed six months and ideally should be used under three months. Sauces should be stored in sanitized containers. It is better to use several smaller sealed containers than a single large one. If sauces are to be frozen, then they can be packed in sealed plastic bags under vacuum, or placed in sealed metal or plastic containers. All containers must be labelled and dated and a record kept separately of what is stored. As with the storage of stocks, a cartouche may be used to cover sauces although plastic cling wrap and containers with lids are acceptable. Storage of Soup, Stocks and Sauces The stock should never be put in the refrigerator while it is hot. The large volume of hot liquid can raise the internal temperature of the refrigerator to the point that the stock will cool sufficiently within two hours and may warm everything else in the refrigerator. A good way to cool the stock is to place the hot stock pot in a sink full of cold water and ice cubes until it is lukewarm but it should not exceed one hour. After leaving it uncovered for the first half hour and stirring occasionally to cool, it should be covered with an upside down plate to prevent evaporation which would cause the stock to become too concentrated. Refrigerated stock cools better in shallow pans. If covered, stock lasts up to five days but it is best if used in two days. Storage of Starch and Sauces Sauces and starches should be kept in airtight container and stored in a cool dry place away from the moisture, oxygen, lights, and pests. Food made with starches contains egg, milk, cream of other dairy products all of which make them prone to bacterial contamination and to food-born illnesses. Sauces made with these ingredients should be kept out of the temperature danger zone. Thickened sauce should also be prepared, served, and stored with caution. These products should be stored in the refrigerator and never left to stay for long at room temperature. Storing Equipment 1. Glass/Plastic Container 2. Stock pot 3. Refrigerator RECONTITUTE STOCKS, SAUCES, AND SOUPS Reconstituting sauces Some sauces are made before service and stored. They can be reheated and used when needed provided certain precautions are taken: reheating should be carried out as quickly as possible, stirring frequently do not overheat as this can cause burning sauces can be reheated in covered shallow trays in a hot oven to minimize the likelihood of burning, and when stovetops are in use. during service, hot sauces must be held above 60°C at the end of service the reheated sauce should be discarded, as should any sauce brought out of bulk storage. Flour and roux based sauces will reconstitute but may require some adjustment when reheated. If possible, modified starch should be substituted for flour. There are some differences between reconstituting soups and sauces: soups are adjusted for consistency and flavour only when the entire soup has been fully reheated to at least 80°C a soup can be thinned by adding water, milk, or stock consommé generally has its nutritive value and flavour increased during clarifying. Ways to Reconstitute Stocks When reconstituting stocks, the first thing to do is thaw them in the Cool room. Once you have done that, make sure you boil them to kill bacteria. To reconstitute stock, water, and other liquid like evaporated milk, coconut milk fruit juices may be added. 1. Skim the surface and strain off the stock through a China cup lined with several layers of cheesecloth. 2. Cool the stock as quickly as possible as follows: ▪ Set the pot in a sink with blocks, rack or some other object under it. This is called venting. This allows cold water to flow under the pot or as around it. ▪ Run cold water into the sink, but not higher than the level of the stock. ▪ Stir the pot occasionally so the stocks cool evenly ▪ Cooling stock quickly and properly is important. Improperly cool stock can spoil in 6 to 8 hrs. 3. When cool, refrigerate the stock in covered containers. Stock will keep 2 to 3 days if properly refrigerated. Stock can also be frozen and will keep for several months. LESSON INFORMATION 1.2 KINDS OF POULTRY ACCORDING TO AGE Poultry are feathered animals raised for the table human consumption. They are raised domestically and commercially. Chicken is the most popular kind of poultry. Game birds are quails, pigeons, partridges, pheasants, and wild ducks. They are hunted in the field or forest and raised in captivity. Poultry and games are omnivores. They eat seeds and insects. Poultry is the general term for domestic bird including chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and game especially raised to be eaten for their meat and eggs. It is classified according to breed, weight and age. CHICKEN Chicken is the most common, popular and largest group of poultry as to age or degree of maturity. They are classified as:  Pullet: A baby chicken which is four to six weeks old and weighs mostly lb. it is suitable for roasting and grilling.  Broiler or Fryer: It is a young chicken, usually 9 to 12 weeks of age, of either sex, is tender-meat with soft, pliable, smooth textured skin.  Capon: It is a surgically desexed male chicken usually under 8 months ofage.  Broiler Fowl: An older chicken weighing 8 pounds and about 8 months old. Broiler’s provide meat suitable for stews or casseroles.  Layer- or bro-hen: The laying hen is about 1 ½ years old and weighs 4 ½ to 6 pounds.  Stag: It is a male chicken, usually under 10 months of age, with coarse skin, with somewhat toughened and darkened flesh.  Roasting Chicken: It is eight weeks old and weighs 3 to 4 pounds. It is the best size for a family.  Hen or Stewing Chicken. It is a mature female chicken which is usually more than 10 months of age. It can also be a culled layer.  Cock or Rooster. It is a mature male chicken with coarse skin, toughened and darkened meat and hardened breastbone tip.  Jumbo Broiler. This is a large chicken about 4 kg. dressed weight which are on sale especially during the Christmas holiday TURKEY Turkeys are not readily available in the market. They are classified into:  Fryer-roaster: A young turkey which is 16 weeks old ad weighs 4 to 8 pounds. It has tender meat, soft, smooth textured skin and flexible breastbone cartilage.  Young hen or young tom: Young hen weighs 12 to 16 pounds while young tom is 22 to 30 pounds.  Old hens or old toms: This is the breeding stock of turkey. Its meat is best used or picked for casserole dishes.  Yearlings: These are turkeys under 15 minutes of age when marketed.\ DUCK A duck is a fatty bird that is best roasted. It is marketed as duckling or young duck.  Peking duck. This is a breed of duck that originated from China and is noted for its tender and flavorful meat.  Duck or Itik is available and popular in many towns of Rizal as fried itik  Squab. This is a young immature pigeon of either sex and has extra tender meat. GOOSE Young goose or gosling weighs from 4 to 10 pounds with tender, fatty, creamy-white flesh which becomes light brown when cooked. It has a slightly gamey flavor. Mature or old goose is more than 6 months old and weighs 10-18 pounds. These are rarely used in food service. CLASSIFY THE VARIOUS TYPES OF SAUCES Sauces One of the important components of a dish is the sauce. Sauces serve a particular function in the composition of a dish. These enhance the taste of the food to be served as well as add moisture or succulence to food that are cooked dry. Sauces also enhance the appearance of a dish by adding luster and sheen. A sauce that includes a flavor complementary to a food brings out the flavoe of the food. It defines and enriches the overall taste and its texture. Sauce is a fluid dressing for poultry, meat, fish, dessert and other culinary products. Sauce is a flavorful liquid, usually thickened that is used to season, flavor and enhance other foods. It adds: 1. Moisture and richness to the food 2. Introduce complementary and contrasting flavors 3. Enhance the appearance of the food (color and shine) 4. Add texture to the dish 5. Provides interest and appetite appeal Structure of sauces 1. Liquid (the body or base of the most sauces) 2. A thickening agent 3. Additional seasoning and flavoring ingredients It is very important that each of these components are prepared and combined very well in order to make an excellent finished sauce LEADING OR MOTHER SAUCES are the foundation for the entire classic repertoire of hot sauces. Basic Sauces for Meat, Vegetables, and Fish 1. White sauce/Bechamel- its basic ingredients is milk thickened with flour enriched with butter. 2. Velouté sauce- its chief ingredients are veal, chicken and fish broth, thickened with blond roux. 3. Hollandise- it is rich emulsified sauce made from butter, egg yolks, lemon juice and cayenne. 4. Emulsion- (as fat in milk) consists of liquid dispersed with or without an emulsifier in another liquid that usually would not mix together 5. Brown sauce/Espagnole (ess pahn yohl)- it is a brown roux-based sauce made with margarine or butter, flavor and brow stock. 6. Tomato- it is made from stock (ham/pork) and tomato products seasoned with spices and herbs. Bechamel sauce – classic standard white sauce. 1. In a saucepan, heat the milk with the onion cloute, and simmer for 10 minutes. 2. In another saucepan, heat the clarified butter over moderate heat. 3. Gradually add flour to the butter to make a blonde roux. Using a spoon, mix the roux thoroughly, and cook it approximately 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. 4. Remove the onion cloute from the milk. 5. Gradually add the hot milk to the roux, whisking constantly. Heat to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the proper flavor and consistency are achieved. 6. Season to taste. 7. Strain tohrough a fine chinois into a sustable container. Hold at 135 ºF or above, or cool to an internal temperature of 41ºF or below. Label date, and refrigerate. 8. Reheat to 165ºF for 15 seconds. Velouté sauce - The term velouté is the French word for velvety. A light stock (one in which the bones of the base used have not been roasted previously), such as veal, chicken, or fish stock, is thickened with a blond roux. 1. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk until fully incorporated. Cook the roux until it turns a blond color. 2. Slowly add the stock, a bit at a time. Whisk and let it come back to a gentle boil each time before adding more stock. Add the stock until you reach a silky smooth consistency. 3. Once done, season with salt and white pepper to taste. The sauce may thicken slightly as it cools, so if you’re not planning to use it right away, you may need to loosen it up with a bit more hot stock before using. 4. Velouté sauce can be used in many dishes, from soups to sauces. It goes particularly well with poultry and seafood dishes. Hollandaise sauce – is made from emulsified egg yolks, clarified butter, seasoning, and often lemon juice. 1. Make a double boiler simmering over medium heat. 2. Whisk egg yolks, water, and vinegar in a bowl over the warm water until thickened. 3. Take the eggs off the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. 4. Whisk in warm melted butter a few drops at a time. 5. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Emulsion sauces - are made by mixing two substances that don't normally mix. To do this, you have to break one of them into millions of miniscule droplets and suspend those droplets in the other substance by vigorously whisking, or better yet, blending them in a blender or food processor. Espagnole sauce - has a strong taste, and is rarely used directly on food. As a mother sauce, it serves as the starting point for many derivatives, such as sauce africaine, sauce bigarade, sauce bourguignonne, sauce aux champignons, sauce charcutière, sauce chasseur, sauce chevreuil, and demi-glace. Hundreds of other derivatives are in the classical French repertoire. Ingredients 1 liter (0.3 US gal) brown beef stock 2 T butter 2 T plain flour 1/2 cup of tomato puree or 1T paste. 1 onion chopped, 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery stick chopped (no leaves) 1 T oil (or bacon fat if available). Procedures 1. Heat the butter in the small saucepan and add the flour. Stir until smooth to make a roux, then cook until a light chocolate brown colour, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Take off the heat just as it reaches this colour as it will continue to cook and continue to stir. 2. Allow the roux to cool slightly, (see warning), then add the stock in batches, stirring each batch until smooth. When the sauce has cooked, you have made a base velouté. 3. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil or bacon fat and saute the vegetables until softened. Add the tomato puree and velouté and stir well. 4. Simmer gently for 30 to 45 minutes until reduced to half volume. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and skim off any fat or foam when it builds up. 5. Strain through a sieve and then your Espagnole is ready for use. This sauce can be used directly, modified into another sauce, or chilled or frozen for future use. Tomato sauce -is one of the five mother sauces in classical French cuisine. The sauce is made by cooking tomatoes in a base of pork fat, aromatics, and stock until it reduces into a thick sauce. Traditionally, it was further thickened with a roux, but modern adaptations often skip this step. Ingredients 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 Spanish onion, 1/4-inch dice 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried /2 medium carrot, finely grated 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved Salt Spaghetti , cooked al dente Whole basil leaves, for garnish Grated Parmesan, (optional) Directions 1. In a 3 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. 2. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8- 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot, and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrots is quite soft. 3. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. 4. When ready to use, the cooked pasta should be added to a appropriate amount of sauce. Garnish with basil leaves and cheese, if using Variation of Sauces 1. Hot sauces- made just before they are to be used. 2. Cold sauces- cooked ahead of time, then cooled, covered, and placed in the refrigerator to chill THICKENING AGENT A thickening agent thickens to the right consistency. The sauce must be thick enough to cling lightly to the food. Starches are the most commonly used thickeners for sauce making. Flour is the principal starch used. Other products include cornstarch, arrowroot, waxy maize, pre-gelatinized starch, bread crumbs, and other vegetables and grain products like potato starch and rice flour. Starches thicken by gelatinization, which is the process by which starch granules absorb water and swell many times their original sizes. Starches granules must be separated before heating in liquid to avoid lumping. Lumping occurs because the starch on the outside of the lump quickly gelatinizes into a coating that prevents the liquid from reaching the starch inside. Starch granules are separated in two ways: Mixing tha starch with fat. Example roux Mixing the starch with acold liquid. Example slurry. Types of Thickening Agent Roux Cornstarch Slurry Whitewash Liaison Arrow Root Beurre Manie 1. Roux is a mixture of fat and flour. It is the recommended method for thickening sauces and soups as it does not separate. A roux is comprised of, by weight, 50% flour, and 50% fat. There are 3 stages of a roux. White Roux Blond Roux Brown Roux https://theculinarycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/how-to-make-roux.jpg A white roux retains its initial color and is only cooked slightly to remove any starchiness from the roux. A blonde roux is caramelized slightly to give it a darker blonde color. A brown roux is cooked until almost burnt; highly caramelized, it also has a nice nutty flavor to it. A. Fat ✓ Clarified butter. Using clarified butter results to finest sauces because of its flavor. ✓ Margarine. Used as a substitute for butter because of its lower cost. ✓ Animal fat. Chicken fat, beef drippings and lard. ✓ Vegetable oil and shortening. Can be used for roux, but it adds no flavor. 2. Cornstarch Slurry is the same as a whitewash, except cornstarch is used instead of flour. Cornstarch is mixed with water and then added to the soup/sauce. Never add dry cornstarch to a product that needs thickening, as you will produce lumps that will be next to impossible to use. The proper technique is to add a cold slurry to a hot liquid while stirring constantly. Starches begin to gelatinize around 60C (140F),so don’t be alarmed when you don’t notice immediate thickening action. A common mistake is thinking there isn’t enough slurry and adding more, resulting in an incredibly thick liquid once the starches do gelatinize. A cornstarch slurry is preferable over a whitewash. The thickening power is more prominent which results in less flavor loss. Cornstarch slurries tend to separate from fats and other liquids if kept for long periods. 3. A whitewash thickening agent is a mixture of flour and water that has been combined prior. The mixed liquid is then added to a soup/sauce. While it works well, the combination of water and flour produce a very flavorless thickener. A whitewash also has a risk of separation with what it was thickening. A whitewash is best used when you need to thicken a dish that is to be served immediately and can withstand a hit in the flavor department. Overall, a whitewash is a cheap, fast solution for thickening that can be used in a pinch. https://theculinarycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/flour-slurry.jpg 4. Liaison a liaison thickening agent doesn’t thicken by gelatinization. A liaison is a mixture of egg yolks and heavy cream that adds richness and smoothness with a minimal thickening. It is important to ensure you prevent the egg yolks from coagulating when they are added to a hot liquid. The ratio is generally 3 yolks to 200ml (7 fl. oz) cream. https://rouxbe.com/tips-techniques/309-what-is-a-liaison 5. Arrowroot a thickening agent is derived from several tropical plants and is similar in texture, appearance and thickening power to cornstarch and is used in exactly the same way. Arrowroot is more expensive, but produces a clearer finished product and doesn’t break down as quickly as cornstarch would. https://theculinarycook.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/arrowroot.jpg 6. Beurre Manie thickening agent is a combination of equal parts flour and softened butter. It is then kneaded together and formed into tiny balls to be dropped into sauces for flavor and thickening power. It is mainly used for quick thickening or thickening at the end of the cooking process. The butter adds shine and flavor as it melts. https://www.labonnecuisine.be/beurre-manie/ TASTE, EVALUATE & ADJUST Taste To balance the flavor and seasoning of your sauces consider all the basic taste sensations Salt is the most primal taste and reduces bitterness Bitterness is derived from herbs and spices including tarragon, sage and peppercorn Sweet is added with the addition of sugar, butter, and cream Butter also adds a savory sensation Acidity lifts and lightens the flavor of the sauce on the tongue; a little wine vinegar, wine, or lemon can do the trick Umami is the savory taste found in meats, poultry, fish, chees e, tomatoes, and mushrooms Consistency & Texture Thin sauces release aromas that are more immediately noticed by the sense of smell Thickening agents obstruct the flavor of a sauce requiring more salt and seasoning Thickened sauces tend to linger on the tongue longer and prolong the flavor better than thin sauces Too Thin? - If the consistency of a sauce is too thin or too weak it can be adjusted by reducing the sauce on the stove. Other alternatives include adding more thickening agent, cream, a swirl of butter, or a liaison of egg yolk and cream. Too Thick? - If it is too thick it can be thinned with a little water, stock or other liquid. Be careful to taste and adjust seasoning. Thinning with water will dilute the flavor so it is normally not recommended except in the case where it may be too intense. Sauces that sit in a steam table will evaporate over time becoming too thick or salty; in this situation it may be appropriate to adjust with water. How to Tell When Thickening is Complete Taste & Consistency: Once the sauce has thickened, there should be no raw flour or starchy taste. The product should have a smooth texture and consistency that can coat the back of a spoon. This quick test indicates that it will cling to food when poured or mixed. The following are the seven common problems in sauce making: Lumpiness - this is usually the effect if the sauce is too dry and then additional liquid is added, adding too much liquid and then it is added quickly, incorrect temperature of the roux and liquid. Poor gloss - this happens when the sauce is insufficiently cooked. Incorrect consistency - result when there is incorrect balance on the formula. This also happens when the sauce is over cooked. Poor color - using dirty utensils and incorrect cooking causes poor color of the sauce Raw Starch flavor - starch is insufficienty cooked Bitterness - happens when the roux is over browned, burned or over cooked.