Scando's Kitchen

Sauce Making: The Five Mother Sauces

Understand the foundation of French cuisine: the five mother sauces and their countless derivatives that form the backbone of Western cooking.

Difficulty: 4/5
Sauce Making

The Five Mother Sauces

In the early 1900s, chef Auguste Escoffier codified French cuisine by identifying five "mother sauces"—foundational sauces from which hundreds of derivative sauces are made. Master these five, and you unlock an entire world of sauce-making.

1. Béchamel (White Sauce)

Base: Milk thickened with a white roux (butter + flour)

How to Make

  1. Melt butter in saucepan
  2. Add flour, whisk to form a paste (roux)
  3. Cook roux for 2-3 minutes (don't let it brown)
  4. Gradually add warm milk while whisking
  5. Simmer until thickened, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg

Classic Derivatives

  • Mornay: Béchamel + Gruyère cheese (for mac and cheese, gratins)
  • Soubise: Béchamel + puréed onions
  • Nantua: Béchamel + shellfish butter

Uses

  • Lasagna, mac and cheese, croque monsieur, gratins

2. Velouté (Blonde Sauce)

Base: Light stock (chicken, fish, or veal) thickened with a blonde roux

How to Make

  1. Melt butter, add flour to make roux
  2. Cook roux until light blonde color (3-5 minutes)
  3. Gradually add warm stock while whisking
  4. Simmer 20-30 minutes to cook out flour taste
  5. Season and strain

Classic Derivatives

  • Allemande: Velouté + egg yolks + lemon juice
  • Suprême: Chicken velouté + cream
  • Bercy: Fish velouté + white wine + shallots

Uses

  • Chicken pot pie, fish dishes, blanquette de veau

3. Espagnole (Brown Sauce)

Base: Brown stock thickened with a brown roux, with tomatoes and mirepoix

How to Make

  1. Make a dark brown roux (cook flour and butter until deep brown)
  2. Add mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) and tomato paste
  3. Add brown stock gradually
  4. Simmer for hours, skimming impurities
  5. Strain and reduce

Classic Derivatives

  • Demi-glace: Espagnole reduced with more stock
  • Bordelaise: Demi-glace + red wine + shallots + bone marrow
  • Chasseur: Demi-glace + mushrooms + tomatoes + white wine

Uses

  • Steak sauces, braised meats, classic French dishes

4. Hollandaise (Butter Sauce)

Base: Egg yolks emulsified with clarified butter and lemon juice

How to Make

  1. Whisk egg yolks with lemon juice over gentle heat (double boiler)
  2. Slowly drizzle in warm clarified butter while whisking
  3. Continue until thick and creamy
  4. Season with salt and cayenne

Classic Derivatives

  • Béarnaise: Hollandaise + tarragon + shallots + white wine vinegar
  • Choron: Béarnaise + tomato paste
  • Maltaise: Hollandaise + blood orange juice

Uses

  • Eggs Benedict, asparagus, fish, steak

5. Tomato Sauce

Base: Tomatoes cooked with aromatics and stock

How to Make

  1. Sauté mirepoix in olive oil
  2. Add tomato paste, cook until darkened
  3. Add crushed tomatoes and stock
  4. Simmer 45-60 minutes
  5. Season with herbs, salt, pepper

Classic Derivatives

  • Marinara: Tomato sauce + garlic + basil
  • Bolognese: Tomato sauce + ground meat + milk
  • Arrabbiata: Tomato sauce + chili flakes + garlic

Uses

  • Pasta, pizza, braised meats, shakshuka

The Roux: Foundation of Thickening

A roux is equal parts fat (usually butter) and flour cooked together:

White roux (1-2 minutes): For béchamel
Blonde roux (3-5 minutes): For velouté
Brown roux (10-15 minutes): For espagnole

Ratio: 1 tablespoon each butter and flour thickens 1 cup liquid to sauce consistency

Modern Thickening Alternatives

  • Cornstarch slurry: Mix cornstarch with cold water, add to hot liquid
  • Beurre manié: Knead butter and flour together, whisk into sauce
  • Reduction: Simmer to evaporate liquid and concentrate flavors
  • Egg yolk liaison: Temper yolks with hot liquid, stir back into sauce

Common Sauce Problems

Too thick: Add more liquid (stock, cream, water)
Too thin: Simmer longer or add more thickener
Lumpy: Strain through fine-mesh sieve or blend
Broken emulsion: Start fresh with new yolk, slowly whisk in broken sauce
Tastes floury: Simmer longer to cook out raw flour taste

Pan Sauces: Quick Derivatives

After searing meat:

  1. Remove meat, pour off excess fat
  2. Add shallots, garlic, or aromatics
  3. Deglaze with wine, stock, or vinegar
  4. Reduce by half
  5. Finish with butter, cream, or herbs

Pro Tips

  • Always use warm liquid when making roux-based sauces (prevents lumps)
  • Strain sauces through a fine-mesh sieve for silky texture
  • Season at the end—reduction concentrates salt
  • Finish sauces with cold butter for glossy sheen (monte au beurre)
  • Make large batches and freeze in ice cube trays

Recipes Using This Technique

  • Classic Béchamel for Lasagna
  • Béarnaise for Steak
  • Quick Pan Sauce for Chicken