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By Month > May 2013

Classic Sauces: How to Prepare and Pair.

May 24, 2013
Shooters Wood Fire Grill remains a favorite Rapid City restaurant among locals. Savory food, great service, and a full bar that is sure to satisfy a well deserved happy hour, are all available at the Rapid City restaurant. We like to offer up some tips on how you can create a delicious meal of your own at home. This summer, consider adding classic sauces to your dish. They are sure to add texture, flair, and flavor to a variety of dishes.

Cooking a tantalizing meal doesn't require a trained chef or even high-end ingredients; however, cooking from scratch and having basic knowledge is essential. In the culinary world there is a unique type of chef called a Saucier, who specializes and perfects sauces and pairs them accordingly with a dish.

Classic sauces must be well balanced in the areas of taste, texture and eye appeal. When pairing a sauce, be sure the flavor is appropriate for the food. For example, light cream sauces pair well with dover sole, but that same sauce would be overwhelming with tuna.

Sauces add texture, color and a flavorful twist. While a basic sauce is generally a liquid combined with a thickening agent and carefully crafted with additional flavors, the enhancing effects it has on a dish is impeccable. When learning the basics of sauce making, start out slow and become familiar with traditional sauces that pair well with a variety of dishes.

If you are a novice Saucier, consider beginning with the following basic, yet classic sauces:

B�chamel Sauce.

Referred to as the “mother sauce”, since the base of many sauces rely on a traditional b�chamel sauce, the base is made with a roux of butter and flour and cooked in milk, giving the sauce it's rich texture that should never have clumps. B�chamel sauce pairs well with vegetables, chicken and fish.

Hunter's Sauce (Sauce Chasseur)

The base of a hunter's sauce consists of a demi glace with mushrooms, shallots, herbs and tomatoes. The name derived from a French word meaning “hunter”, alluding to the traditional pairing with game meats.

Beurre Blanc

The French term beurre blanc, meaning white butter, consists of butter sauce with a reduction of white wine. It is light in texture with a rich, buttery and neutral flavor that accommodates many seasonings and flavors. A classic beurre blanc pairs well with fish.

Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise is made by slowly whisking clarified butter into warm egg yolks and an addition of white wine or lemon juice. The tangy, buttery taste of the sauce pairs very well with eggs, seafood and vegetables.

B�arnaise Sauce

B�arnaise sauce is considered the “daughter” of hollandaise sauce since the base ingredients of butter, egg yolks and white wine (or lemon juice) remain the same. The addition of tarragon and shallots and preparation technique give this sauce a bold flavor that pairs significantly well with steak, eggs and vegetables.

Culinary professionals don't always hold the secret in the sauce. With these basics, cooking and pairing a meal with a classic sauce adds a culinary flair that will leave your guests impressed and begging for more. In some cases, a little can go a long way with sauce pairing, so be sure to test your masterpiece before piling on the sauces. The idea behind a good sauce is to pair and accent, not overwhelm, the main dish.
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