Sauce

It is a flavorful relish or dressing or topping served as an accompaniment to food; verb add zest or flavor to, make more interesting; dress (food) with a relish; behave saucy or impudently towards.

Ingridients for ″Pesto Genovese″

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Samosas accompanied by four sauces

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Sauce being brushed on satay

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Tagliatelle al Ragù alla Bolognese

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Tzatziki yoghurt sauce

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A chef whisking a sauce

Recipes for sauces[edit]

Sauce is a flavorful liquid, relish, or dressing typically served as an accompaniment to enhance the flavor, moisture, and appearance of a dish. Sauces are an essential element in many cuisines and can be served hot or cold, sweet or savory, thick or thin.

White sauce base[edit]

Basic white sauce

¼ cup flour
¼ cup fat
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
1½ cups milk

Melt fat. Add dry ingredients and a little milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Gradually add the remaining milk. Serve with vegetables, fish, eggs, or meat.

White sauce with cheese

1½ cups white sauce
½ cup cheese (cream or American)

Stir cheese into hot white sauce. Excellent with macaroni, hominy, or vegetables.

White sauce with shrimps

1 cup white sauce
½ cup shrimps
¼ teaspoon salt

Serve on toast or with starchy vegetables.

White sauce with horseradish and pimento

1 cup white sauce
¼ cup horseradish
1 tablespoon chopped pimento

Serve with boiled beef or cold roast beef.

White sauce with egg

1 cup white sauce
2 sliced hard-cooked eggs
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne

Serve with spinach, vegetables, or fish.

Brown sauce base[edit]

Basic brown sauce

¼ cup fat
⅓ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
1½ cups brown stock, or 1½ cups water + 2 bouillon cubes
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Melt fat and brown it. Add flour, cook until browned. Add liquid gradually, boiling after each addition. Optionally add kitchen bouquet for darker color.

Brown sauce with olives

1 cup brown sauce
3 tablespoons chopped olives

Stir olives into hot sauce.

Brown sauce with peanuts

1 cup brown sauce
¼ cup chopped peanuts
⅛ teaspoon salt

Use with rice, macaroni, hominy, or other starches for a meat-like flavor.

Mushroom sauce

1 cup brown sauce
½ cup chopped mushrooms

Add mushrooms to fat and flour before adding liquid. Cook briefly if using fresh mushrooms.

Vegetable sauces[edit]

¼ cup fat
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
2 cups vegetable stock (or 1 cup stock + 1 cup milk)

Make as white sauce. Vegetable stock is the water in which any vegetable has been cooked.

Drawn butter sauce[edit]

⅓ cup butter substitute
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Make like white sauce, but reserve 2 tablespoons of fat to add just before serving.

Tomato sauce[edit]

¼ cup fat
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon onion juice
1½ cups tomato pulp or juice

Make as white sauce. Bring to boil after each addition of liquid.

Tomato sauce with cheese

1 cup tomato sauce
½ cup grated cheese

Add cheese just before serving. Do not boil after adding cheese.

Mexican sauce

1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
3 tablespoons chopped celery
3 tablespoons chopped carrot

Fruit sauces[edit]

Fruit sauce for pudding

¼ cup fat
½ cup milk
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 tablespoon brandy
1 cup mashed cooked fruit

Chill and serve with steamed or baked pudding.

Coconut sauce

½ cup milk
½ cup coconut and milk
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring to boil, cook 20 minutes over hot water. Use with cake or pudding.

Molasses sauce

1 cup molasses
2 tablespoons fat
1 tablespoon flour + 1 tablespoon cold water
1½ tablespoons vinegar

Mix and heat to boiling point.

Dessert sauces[edit]

French sauce

1 cup corn syrup
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup water
1 tablespoon cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat egg, slowly add hot syrup + water. Add cream and vanilla.

Spice sauce

½ cup corn syrup
1 egg
⅓ cup milk
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon vanilla

Cook yolks, spices, and syrup over hot water. Fold in whites before serving.

Maple spice sauce

3 tablespoons fat
⅓ cup maple sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon vanilla
⅓ cup milk

Cook in double boiler, then serve hot or cold.

Hard sauce

⅓ cup butter substitute or oil
⅓ cup corn syrup
⅓ cup sugar
1 teaspoon flavoring

Cream together.

Lemon or orange sauce

½ cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon fat
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon rind
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup orange juice
2 teaspoons orange rind
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon water

Mix and bring to boil.

Cranberry sauce with raisins

1 cup cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup corn syrup
½ cup raisins or nuts
2 tablespoons fat

Cook until thick and soft. About 20 minutes.

Culinary use[edit]

In cooking, a sauce may be used to complement or contrast the main ingredient of a dish. Common types include:

Gravy – a meat-based sauce made from pan drippings
Béchamel sauce – a classic French white sauce
Tomato sauce – used in Italian and other Mediterranean cuisines
Soy sauce – a fermented condiment common in Asian cuisine
Hot sauce – a spicy condiment made from chili peppers
Dessert sauce – such as chocolate or caramel, used on sweets

As a verb[edit]

The term "sauce" can also be used as a verb, meaning:

To add flavor or zest to something: "She sauced up the plain rice with herbs and butter."
To dress or garnish food with sauce: "The chef sauced the steak before serving."
To behave in a cheeky, impudent, or saucy manner: "Don't sauce your elders!"