The Five Mother sauces, and why they matter…..

The “mother sauces” are the backbone of classical French cooking. Chef Escoffier created them in the early 1900s, and they’re still taught in culinary school because once you know them, you can branch into hundreds of variations. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Béchamel

• Base: Milk thickened with a white roux (butter + flour cooked lightly).

• How it’s made: Start with a roux, whisk in warm milk, season with salt, white pepper, nutmeg.

• Uses: Creamy pastas, gratins, lasagna, croquettes.

• Small sauces:

  • Mornay (cheese added—often Gruyère, Parmesan, or cheddar)

  • Soubise (onion purée folded in)

  • Mustard sauce (Dijon added)

2. Velouté

• Base: White stock (chicken, veal, or fish) thickened with a blond roux.

• How it’s made: Roux + stock simmered until smooth.

• Uses: Poultry or fish dishes, elegant soups.

• Small sauces:

  • Suprême (cream added, classic with chicken)

  • Allemande (egg yolk and cream liaison)

  • Normande (fish velouté with cream, butter, egg yolks, and sometimes oyster liquor)

3. Espagnole (Brown Sauce)

• Base: Brown stock (veal or beef) + brown roux + tomato paste + mirepoix, reduced.

• How it’s made: Bones and vegetables roasted, stock made, then thickened with brown roux and tomato paste. Usually simmered a long time.

• Uses: Roasts, braises, hearty meats.

• Small sauces:

  • Demi-glace (Espagnole reduced with stock until rich and glossy)

  • Bordelaise (red wine, shallots, demi-glace, bone marrow)

  • Chasseur (mushrooms, shallots, white wine, demi-glace—“hunter’s sauce”)

4. Tomato Sauce

• Base: Tomatoes (fresh or canned), sometimes with stock, roux, or cured pork.

• How it’s made: Simmered tomatoes with aromatics like onion, garlic, herbs; may include pork fat or mirepoix.

• Uses: Pastas, braises, pizza, anything needing acidity and depth.

• Small sauces:

  • Marinara (lighter, quicker-cooked tomato sauce with garlic and herbs)

  • Creole (tomato with peppers, onions, celery, and spices)

  • Spanish (tomato with onion, garlic, olive oil, bell pepper)

5. Hollandaise

• Base: Egg yolks + clarified butter, emulsified with lemon juice or vinegar.

• How it’s made: Egg yolks whisked gently over a bain-marie, butter added slowly to create a warm emulsion.

• Uses: Eggs Benedict, vegetables (asparagus, artichokes), seafood.

• Small sauces:

  • Béarnaise (shallots, tarragon, vinegar reduction added)

  • Mousseline (Hollandaise lightened with whipped cream)

  • Maltaise (blood orange juice added)

👉 Think of the mother sauces like “toolboxes.” Once you master them, you just add ingredients to shift flavor and purpose