How to Make Great Sauces at Home

Many people believe that making great homemade sauce like the ones we love and find in restaurants to be intimidating. However, making great sauces at home doesn't have to be complex or time-consuming. In fact, once you learn the basics you can experiment with different variations.

You want ever have to purchase those prepackaged mixes for sauces, or spend money on sauces that come in a jar and are of poor quality. You can easily make great sauces at home, if you follow some simple techniques. Also, experience or special equipment is not needed, and the best thing is that once you master a few recipes then you can make as many variations of sauces as you like.

Plenty of times a great meal can be all about the sauce. There are many excellent cookbooks that contain recipes and techniques for making sauces. Some cookbooks are devoted exclusively to the subject. So if you want to truly learn how to make great sauces at home it is recommended that you check out the great cookbooks that there are available and begin experimenting. Once you have mastered the basic techniques, then you can begin to substitute your favorite ingredients in your homemade sauces.

Some sauces are very simple to make and all it takes is a few ingredients mixed in a food processor. An example of this type of sauce is as pesto sauce. Some sauces are complicated and may take all day to prepare. However, you must remember that any sauce regardless of its complexity will usually have a less complicated method of preparing it. When making homemade sauce you can make a great sauce even if you don't prepare the sauce entirely from scratch. So keep that in mind when attempting to make your first great sauces at home.

You can find all different types of sauces, however, they all have the same purpose, and that is enhancing the flavor of the food it accompanies. Sauces are basically a liquid that is flavored with seasonings and ingredients. The sauce may have a base of stock or wine, and whatever you add to the base is what makes the sauce special.

Here are some of the most popular types of sauces and also 2 popular sauce recipes:

Types of Sauces

White sauce - typically contains broth, stock, cream, or milk.

Butter sauces - This type of sauce is made by reducing shallots, vinegar, and butter.

Brown sauces - This sauce has a base that relies on a dark stock such as beef or lamb

Vegetable sauces - Sauces made from vegetables are cooked and pured. An example of a vegetable sauce would be tomato sauce.

Vinaigrettes - Although you might not think so. A vinaigrette is a type of sauce that is typically used on salads. It is made by combining seasonings, vinegar, and oil.

Hollandaise - This delicious thick sauce that is high in calories is made with butter and egg yolks.

Mayonnaise - is a sauce that is based on oil and egg yolks.

Dessert sauces - they're wide variety of different types of dessert sauces. These are usually made with chocolate or fruits and sugar, or they may have a not, butterscotch, or caramel base.

2 Popular Sauce Recipes

Basic Brown Gravy Recipe

Preparing this basic Brown gravy recipe is very simple, almost as simple as preparing a prepackaged mix. However, the taste is vastly superior to any packets that you purchase. Try it and see. This basic brown gravy recipe serves eight.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

•1/2 cup of unsalted butter

•1/2 cup of white flour

•1 clove of garlic, minced

•1/4 cup of ketchup

•1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

•1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

•1 quart of beef broth

• salt and pepper

Preparation:

In a medium size saucepan place butter, heat in medium low until butter melts. Slowly add the flour stirring it until this mixture has the aroma of a cooked pie crust and it has a golden brown color. Now add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add a cup of broth, and then add remaining ingredients with the exception of the salt and pepper.

Whisk the ingredients and heat to a simmer. Reduce heat to a low temperature then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Continue to stir occasionally and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mushroom Gravy Recipe

Just about anything that has a topping of mushroom gravy tastes great. You can use this gravy over roasted chicken, meatloaf, and over steaks. This versatile sauce is simple to make and is superior tasting than packaged mixes or any jarred mushroom sauce. This mushroom gravy recipe can be made with vegetable, chicken, or beef broth depending on how you're serving it. This recipe makes 4 cups.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

•1/4 cup of butter

•1 lb. Mf sliced mushrooms

•1/3 cup of white flour

•1 quart of vegetable, chicken, or beef broth or stock

•1/2 teaspoon of thyme (dried)

• salt and pepper

Preparation:

In a large size saucepan place butter and heat in medium high until butter sizzles. Then add mushrooms and stir for 10 to 12 minutes or until the juices of the mushrooms have evaporated and have started to brown. Add flour and reduce heat to medium, cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of broth, and when it is incorporated then add additional broth and thyme. Bring liquid to a simmer, and reduce heat to a low level. Continue to simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. Stir occasionally and season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you prefer this gravy to be thicker then increase heat to reduce it to your desired thickness. If you prefer thinner gravy, then just add broth.

Making your own sauces at home is easy if you follow the techniques and information found here. Once you make your own great sauces at home you won't want to purchase the packaged ones again. It's simply not an option when you taste the difference.