FAT BASED SAUCES

Question 1

What makes fat-based sauces so appealing to the home cook, relative to stock-based sauces?

Answer 1

They always have the base (fat) on hand.

Question 2

Give sone examples of lean preparations that fat-based sauces make better.

Answer 2

Blanched vegetables, lean grilled meats, fish, legumes. Starched and eggs also are elevated.

Question 3

Give some examples of fat-based sauces on fatty dishes.

Answer 3

Fried fish with tartar sauce, French fries dipped in mayonnaise.

Question 4

Fat is what and gives what?

Answer 4

Flavor, texture, and gives succulence and richness to dishes.

Question 5

MAYONNAISE

Answer 5

20 PARTS OIL: 1 PART LIQUID (plus yolk)

Question 6

Culinary school ratio of oil to egg yolk is what? Do you need all that yolk?

Answer 6

1 cup oil: 1 egg yolk, and no, you don’t need all that yolk.

Question 7

Mayonnaise can and will break, but why?

Answer 7

Not if too much oil is added relative to the quantity of yolk, but relative to the amount of water you’ve included.

Question 8

Mayonnaise you make at home has a texture you simply cannot what?

Answer 8

Mass produce.

Question 9

What greatly helps oil and water to remain separated? Explain.

Answer 9

A molecule in the yolk called lecithin that is part fat and part water soluble. Lecithin buries itself partly in the yolk and partly in the water; the water soluble tail helps to repel other oil droplets and maintain the emulsion. But if there’s not enough water, the oil droplets will break through the barrier and join with the other oil droplets and the mixture will quickly turn oily and soupy.

Question 10

Without water (or some form of it, such as lemon juice or vinegar) a handmade mayonnaise is what?

Answer 10

Virtually impossible.

Question 11

If you use shallots in your mayonnaise, how long can you keep it?

Answer 11

Same day or it will develop off flavors.

Question 12

How long will mayonnaise last if you only use lemon juice, salt, oil and yolks?

Answer 12

Several days.

Question 13

Name two miscellaneous factors that affect emulsions.

Answer 13

Temperature (room temperature ingredients encourage emulsification), and salt.

Question 14

Are some oils more emulsion friendly?

Answer 14

Yes, olive oil over vegetable oil, for instance.

Question 15

Can sauces sense when you’re afraid of them?

Answer 15

Yes, so don’t be.

Question 16

Can you make a mayonnaise with just water and oil?

Answer 16

Yes

Question 17

How long can a mayonnaise base last if well wrapped?

Answer 17

One week.

Question 18

How do you keep a metal bowl from moving?

Answer 18

Twist a wet towel around the base.

Question 19

How do you soften a shallots flavor before adding it to mayonnaise?

Answer 19

Macerate it in lemon juice for a few minutes. You can also do that with garlic in lemon juice.

Question 20

When using raw garlic in mayonnaise, it’s important to remove what?

Answer 20

The germ, the living, often green, shoot within the clove, which can give the garlic an off flavor.

Question 21

If your dealing with a lot of unpeeled garlic, what facilitates both peeling and removing the germ?

Answer 21

Halved and soaked in warm water.

Question 22

Flavors that go well with salmon.

Answer 22

Dill, chives, citrus.

Question 23

When is it best to add green herbs into a mayonnaise?

Answer 23

After oil has been added so acid doesn’t discolor the herbs.

Question 24

What is “a la grecque?”

Answer 24

In the Greek style.

Question 25

What is a crudité?

Answer 25

French term for raw vegetables served as relish.

Question 26

When whisking an emulsion by hand, how should you add oil?

Answer 26

A few drops at a time until the emulsion is formed.

Question 27

How can you get dried chili peppers for mayonnaise?

Answer 27

Toast them in the oven to fully dehydrate them, remove stems and seeds, grind in a coffee grinder.

Question 28

Why is using bold flavors important when serving cold foods?

Answer 28

It makes up for the aromatic boost hot foods have in their favor.

Question 29

Should you toast curry before adding it to mayonnaise?

Answer 29

Yes

Question 30

What is the drawback when making mayonnaise with an immersion blender?

Answer 30

It creates a very thick mayonnaise on the fly but breaks easily. Just stick it in a cup that fits the immersion blenders head.

Question 31

VINAIGRETTE

Answer 31

3 PARTS OIL: 1 PART VINEGAR

Question 32

What brings contrast to fatty dishes?

Answer 32

Acid

Question 33

Should a vinaigrette be considered a mother sauce? Why?

Answer 33

Yes, because it's infinitely variable and used throughout most, if not all, kitchens.

Question 34

What is verjuice?

Answer 34

The juice of unripe wine grapes.

Question 35

Name 6 soft stemmed herbs.

Answer 35

Cilantro, parsley, dill, mint, basil, chives.

Question 36

Name 4 hard stemmed herbs.

Answer 36

Thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano.

Question 37

When should soft stemmed herbs be added to a vinaigrette? What about hard stemmed?

Answer 37

Soft should be added just before serving. Hard should be allowed to infuse for an hour or more.

Question 38

Does how vinaigrettes are mixed determine the final effect of the sauce?

Answer 38

Yes

Question 39

At its simplest, a vinaigrette is what? What else can it be?

Answer 39

Oil and vinegar added separately to a salad (add oil first to coat the leaves, the "season" with the vinegar). They can be whisked or blended so that oil and vinegar temporarily combine, but the sauce remains loose. Or the oil can be emulsified into the acid for a thick and creamily textured sauce.

Question 40

When can 3:1 ratio be adjusted?

Answer 40

For a red wine vinegar it works, but for sharp citrus juice, such as lime, you may want to use 4 parts oil. For a sharper, leaner vinaigrette, or if using a powerfully flavored fat such as bacon or duck fat, you may want to reduce the ratio of fat. Another way to reduce the quantity of oil is to add a lot of other ingredients--blend a fresh tomato for a tomato vinaigrette or some vegetable stock in place of somme oil.

Question 41

The classic South American sauce for beef, chimichurri, is nothing more than what?

Answer 41

A heavily herbed vinaigrette.

Question 42

Aromas are what?

Answer 42

Ingredients with volatile aromas.

Question 43

Does quality vinegar matter in a vinaigrette?

Answer 43

Yes, you get what you pay for.

Question 44

The faster you whisk your emulsion the _____ it becomes.

Answer 44

thicker

Question 45

Vinaigrettes started in blenders may need to be finished where?

Answer 45

In a bowl by hand; it gets too thick.

Question 46

Company that makes very good nut oils.

Answer 46

www.latourangelle.com

Question 47

Why should you let a chimichurri sit for an hour?

Answer 47

So the oil has a chance to absorb the aromatics.

Question 48

HOLLANDAISE

Answer 48

5 PARTS BUTTER: 1 PART YOLK: 1 PART LIQUID

Question 49

An emulsified butter sauce should be what?

Answer 49

Thick and luxurious.

Question 50

Traditional hollandaise ratio.

Answer 50

1lb butter to 6 yolks.

Question 51

What happens if your making a hollandaise sauce with the ratio of 3:1 or 2:1 butter to egg ratio?

Answer 51

You're creeping into sabayon territory.

Question 52

If there is enough lecithin in a single yolk for plenty of fat, what are extra yolks for?

Answer 52

Texture, flavor, and richness.

Question 53

The chief danger to am emulsion is what?

Answer 53

Not having enough water.

Question 54

Why is water even more of a concern in warm butter sauces than something like a vinaigrette or mayonnaise?

Answer 54

The sauce is cooked and thus continuously gives up water as it vaporizes during cooking.

Question 55

As a rule, how much water should be used per 10 ounces of fat?

Answer 55

1 tbsp per 10 ounces of fat.

Question 56

Should you keep water on hand when making a cooked emulsion?

Answer 56

Yes, right next you you.

Question 57

Why is there a greater ration of water in butter sauces than mayonnaise?

Answer 57

Because the water will cook off.

Question 58

What kind of butter is traditionally whipped into egg yolks?

Answer 58

Clarified

Question 59

What contributes to the voluminous body and flavor of a hollandaise sauce?

Answer 59

Cooked egg yolks.

Question 60

Are warm butter sauces meant to be eaten with cold food?

Answer 60

No, hot food.

Question 61

The quantity of ____ _____ is typically higher in a butter sauce than a mayonnaise.

Answer 61

egg yolk

Question 62

The acidic component of a butter sauce often includes what?

Answer 62

Vinegar reduced with aromatics, then strained and included in the final sauce as part of the water.

Question 63

If you want to create a very pure butter flavor, what can you reduce?

Answer 63

eggy yolks

Question 64

If you love the impact of the fluffy, frothy egg, what can you take out?

Answer 64

Add less butter.

Question 65

Can whole butter be used in a hollandaise?

Answer 65

Yes

Question 66

Standard method for hollandaise.

Answer 66

Make your reduction with the proper aromatics and vinegar, strain it into your cooking vessel, add salt (salting is important early to ensure it dissolves), add the yolks, and cook the mixture, whisking continuously, until eggs are fluffy and cooked (150-160ºF). Reduce or remove from the heat and whip in the butter as you would oil for mayonnaise, then add fresh aromatics and additional seasonings such as lemon juice as necessary.

Question 67

How does heat cause so many cooks to fear hollandaise?

Answer 67

Heat is cooking the eggs so the molecules are transforming. And it's resulting in some water loss. Water is a critical component in an emulsions because it separates the minuscule orbs or oil from one another, and condition that results in a thick, creamy sauce.

Question 68

How do you fix a broken hollandaise?

Answer 68

Get another yolk and a couple of teaspoons of water, warm them a little, and start adding your broken sauce the way you added the butter. You'll have your sauce back in no time.

Question 69

Can butter sauces be served piping hot?

Answer 69

No, they should be served warm.

Question 70

Best way to hold a hollandaise.

Answer 70

In a thermos, or keep them in a warm place, but never over direct heat, until ready to serve, pressing some plastic wrap onto the surface to keep a film from forming.

Question 71

What can you do with leftover hollandaise?

Answer 71

It can only be held for an hour for food safety reasons, but refrigerated hollandaise can be reemulsified as you would with a broken sauce or as a medium to scramble eggs.

Question 72

Why is the emulsified butter sauce, while variable, not quite so vast as varying mayonnaise based sauces?

Answer 72

Because the butter-and-egg combination is such a rich and dominant part of the sauce.

Question 73

When improvising on a hollandaise, stick to pairings that work well with ______.

Answer 73

butter

Question 74

The classic pairings are classic for a reason, they _____.

Answer 74

work

Question 75

What does citrus juice and zest do to a hollandaise?

Answer 75

Lightens it up.

Question 76

What does reduce meat stock add to a hollandaise?

Answer 76

Depth

Question 77

If the sauce becomes very thick and shiny, almost as if the water is being squeezed to the surface, what should you do?

Answer 77

Add a teaspoon or cold water or lemon juice so it doesn't break.

Question 78

When should you turn off the heat?

Answer 78

When eggs have doubled or tripled on volume.

Question 79

Is it ever a bad idea to add a little water?

Answer 79

No, ensure you always have enough.

Question 80

What should you remember when using whole butter?

Answer 80

That you can add less water.