Sauces are a wonderful way to add flavor and really take a dish from good to great. I do a series of cooking classes on the five “mother sauces” in French cooking, and even though these sauces may sound complicated, they are used regularly in American cuisine without most […]
Click here to view original web page at www.dailyadvance.com
Sauces are a wonderful way to add flavor and really take a dish from good to great.
I do a series of cooking classes on the five “mother sauces” in French cooking, and even though these sauces may sound complicated, they are used regularly in American cuisine without most cooks realizing they are using simple French techniques.
French chef Marie Antoine-Carême was the first to organize all the French sauces into groups that were based on four foundational sauces.
Later, French chef Auguste Escoffier added one more sauce to form what is known today as the five "mother sauces," in Le Guide Culinaire in 1903. These sauces create everything from macaroni and cheese to the gravy on your mashed potatoes.
A salad dressing is nothing more than a sauce that is not cooked. The base for all dressings is an emulsifier such as Dijon mustard to thicken the sauce, along with an acid such as vinegar, and a fat such as olive oil which must be streamed in slowly while whisking the ingredients together. Flavors such as salt, pepper, honey, garlic and shallots are added to balance the flavors.
Many ask me for the recipes for my dressings, and they are so simple and easy to put together I often make them on the fly as I run out, and I am one of those chef’s that only measures when baking so I just add to taste.
Once you master the basic dressing you can change the flavor profile by simply substituting ingredients such as lemon juice for vinegar, and Tabasco for pepper. You can get creative with flavored oils and vinegars.
This week, I have included my recipe for a few dressings for your salad. The best recipe for success is to use fresh ingredients and not overdressing your salad. Enjoy!
If you have a cooking question contact me at cher.orr@gmail.com and I’d be happy to assist!
Cheryl Orr was the chef and owner of The Cotton Gin Inn in Edenton, and now owns Cotton Gin Inn Culinary in Downtown Edenton.
INGREDIENTS
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 1 clove minced garlic, finely minced
• ½ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ cup olive or canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Whisk all but oil, and slowly drizzle in and whisk oil to emulsify.
INGREDIENTS
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 8 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Whisk all but oil, and slowly drizzle in and whisk oil to emulsify.
INGREDIENTS
• 3 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
• ¼ teaspoon fresh dill, chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped finely
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Whisk all together.
INGREDIENTS
• 3 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
PREPARATION
Whisk all together.
