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Interesting, aren't they... It's like you use them in lots of stuff but not aware about what they are, let alone what's in it.

These sauces are used in lots of stuff, from condiments to gravy to soups. They are the main sauces that were consolidated into five different categories in French cuisine, later named the Mother Sauces.

Bechamel - Milk thickened with a light roux
Espangole - Brown stock
Voulute - White stock thickened with a roux
Hollindase - Egg yolk emulsified with butter and lemon
Tomate - Tomato-based

A roux is a thickening mixture made with equal parts flour and fats, cooked over med-low heat and constantly stirred. You'll either have white, blonde, or brown roux, which affects the color of your sauce.

Actually, today when cooking dinner, I came across a nice recipe that did good. Try it out if you haven't ever, it's pretty easy. This one will use the first sauce listed, the Bechemel.

Baked Mac & Cheese

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 oz. minced onions

2 servings cooked macaroni elbows (1 cup uncooked)
6 oz shredded cheddar
bread crumbs
Paprika


Melt the butter under low heat. Add in the flour and stir with whisk until combined. Add in the milk, salt, and onions. Mix and bring to simmer, then turn off and put aside. You may want to stir once in awhile.

Place cooked macaroni in a greased 10 inch pie dish. Fold in the bechemel mix and cheese, then spread evenly. Top with paprika and bread crumbs and bake for 25 min at 325, or until the crumbs are nice and toasty. Let cool, then serve.

Next I might just go down the list and do another using the next sauce.