Mastering these classic French sauces will take your cooking to the next level and add a touch of elegance to your meals. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the five foundational “mother sauces” – béchamel, velouté, hollandaise, sauce tomate, and espagnole. These versatile recipes are not only essential to French cuisine but also serve as the building blocks for countless secondary sauces and dishes.
Don’t let their French names intimidate you! With simple techniques and a bit of practice, these sauces are surprisingly approachable. Whether you’re looking to impress dinner guests or elevate everyday meals, these timeless recipes are the key to unlocking a world of flavor.
1 Béchamel Sauce
As the base for mornay sauce, soubise, cheese sauce, mustard sauce, béchamel is more commonly known as cream or cheese sauce. In French cooking it is classically served with eggs, fish, pasta or steamed poultry and generally flavoured with nutmeg, bay leaf, white onion or cloves. This is the classic way of making a white sauce, using a mixture of butter and flour that the French call a ‘roux’.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups milk (425 ml)
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- 1 slice onion, ¼ inch thick (about 5 mm)
- 3 tablespoons butter (40 g)
- 2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour (20 g)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Infuse the Milk: Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add the bay leaf, whole black peppercorns, and onion slice. Place the pan over low heat and slowly bring the milk to a simmer; this should take about 5 minutes. Once simmering, strain the milk into a measuring cup or bowl, discarding the bay leaf, peppercorns, and onion.
- Make the Roux: In the same saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Be careful not to let it overheat or brown, as this will affect the color and flavor of the sauce. Once the butter is melted, stir in the flour. Use a small wooden spoon to mix vigorously over medium heat until it forms a smooth, glossy paste.
- Add the Milk: Gradually add the infused milk to the paste, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Continue until all the milk is incorporated, and the mixture is smooth.
- Cook the Sauce: Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and let the sauce cook gently for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep it smooth.
- Season: Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste before serving.
2 Velouté
Velouté is one of the five classic French mother sauces. It’s a versatile sauce often served with fish, steamed vegetables, or pasta and is the base for many other sauces, such as white wine sauce, sauce supreme, sauce Normandy, and sauce allemande. Velouté starts with a roux, like béchamel, but uses stock instead of milk.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef or chicken stock (240 ml)
Instructions
- Make the Roux: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Be careful not to let it boil or brown. Once melted, remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the flour until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.
- Add the Stock: Gradually pour in the stock while continuing to whisk until the mixture is fully blended and smooth.
- Cook the Sauce: Return the saucepan to medium heat and stir constantly until the sauce comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional minute to eliminate any raw flour taste.
- Serve or Use as a Base: The velouté is now ready to be served or used as the base for other sauces.
3 Tomato Sauce (Sauce Tomate)
This classic French tomato sauce was inspired by Italian cooking but features its own unique techniques. Traditionally, French sauce tomate is thickened with a roux, while Italian tomato sauce relies on slow reduction. This quick and flavorful version skips the roux and uses green peppers for a rich, hearty flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ pounds (about 2 cans) plum tomatoes, crushed (1 kg)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 green bell peppers, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and green bell peppers. Sauté for about 2 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are softened.
- Add the Tomatoes and Seasoning: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, red wine vinegar, sugar, and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Simmer the Sauce: Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a jam-like consistency. This should take about 30-45 minutes.
- Store for Later: Make a large batch and divide it into two or three portions. Store the sauce in freezer-safe bags or airtight containers. It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for several months, ready to use in your favorite dishes.
4 Espagnole
Espagnole, or “brown sauce,” is a classic French mother sauce made by simmering mirepoix (a mix of onion, carrot, and celery), tomato purée, herbs, and beef stock. It’s the base for demi-glace, a rich and flavorful sauce often served with red meats. Traditionally thickened with a brown roux, this sauce is both nutty and aromatic. While veal stock is classic, beef stock works perfectly for modern variations.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter (225 g)
- 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (50 g)
- 4 cups hot beef stock (1 L)
- 3 tablespoons tomato purée (50 g)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 bouquet garni (a bundle of thyme, parsley, and bay leaf tied together or in cheesecloth)
Instructions
- Sauté the Mirepoix: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped carrot, onion, and celery, and cook until the vegetables become translucent, stirring occasionally.
- Make the Roux: Sprinkle the flour evenly over the sautéed vegetables and stir well. Cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a roux with a nutty aroma.
- Add the Stock and Tomato Purée: Gradually whisk in the hot beef stock to avoid lumps, followed by the tomato purée. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Simmer the Sauce: Add the chopped garlic, freshly ground black pepper, and the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and develops a deep flavor.
- Finish and Store: Remove the bouquet garni before using. Divide the sauce into portions and store in freezer-safe bags or containers. It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for several months.
5 Hollandaise Sauce
Hollandaise is a classic French sauce that’s buttery, tangy, and luxurious. It’s a key component of dishes like eggs Benedict, béarnaise, Dijon sauce, and Maltaise sauce. While it can be tricky to make without curdling, using a double boiler (bain marie) helps gently heat the egg yolks to achieve the perfect thickness.
Ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks
- Splash of water (about 1 teaspoon)
- 14 tablespoons (1 ¾ sticks) almost-melted butter (200 g)
- Squeeze of lemon juice (to taste)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Set Up the Double Boiler: Bring a small saucepan of water to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Place a heatproof glass or metal bowl over the saucepan, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Whisk the Yolks: Add the egg yolks and a splash of water to the bowl. Begin whisking constantly to prevent the yolks from cooking unevenly.
- Incorporate the Butter: Slowly pour in the almost-melted butter while whisking. Start with a few drops at a time, gradually increasing the flow as the sauce begins to thicken. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth, thick, and creamy.
- Season the Sauce: Once the sauce reaches the desired consistency, remove it from the heat. Stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Serve or Adapt: Use the sauce immediately, drizzled over eggs Benedict, steamed asparagus, or your favorite dishes. For a variation, try adding the juice of blood oranges to create a classic Maltaise sauce.
Voilà! You’ve mastered the Top Five French Sauces, well done.
