What are the five mother sauces?

The "mother sauces," as they are known, refers to five basic but versatile sauces used in Classic French cuisine. When people go to culinary school and study the French tradition (which lays the foundation for much of the professional culinary arts) they learn how to prepare and get the most out of these sauces. Calling these sauces "mother" refers to the fact that many other sauces can be made using one of these as a base.

Here's a brief description of each of the mother sauces and how they differ from one another:

• 
  Bechamel sauce is made by cooking a roux of flour and butter, then adding milk, onion, and nutmeg. The result is a creamy and delicate sauce which can be used to make a variety of cream or cheese sauces. Some people begin with a bechamel when making casserole dishes like macaroni and cheese.


• 
  Veloute is also made with a roux, though this time the butter and flour are cooked to a light golden color. A broth with light color and flavor, such as chicken or fish, is then added to the roux. No additional spices or aromatic vegetables are added unless one is using veloute to create another sauce, such as a white wine sauce.


• 
  Espagnole is made by cooking flour and butter into a rather dark roux. This creates a very rich flavor. A dark, meaty broth like beef is added, as well as a little tomato paste, herbs, and sometimes a mixture of carrot, onion, and celery. This sauce may go on to become the savory, rich Madeira.


• In contrast to the previous three, tomato sauce (also spelled "sauce tomate") does not use a roux. Instead, puree and paste of tomato are cooked down into a thick and velvety sauce. Herbs and aromatic vegetables like garlic, celery, carrot, and onion are common in this sauce. You might be familiar with tomato sauce on pasta!


• 
  Hollandaise is the fifth mother sauce, and was added to the list later than the others. Hollandaise is a creamy mixture of egg yolk, butter, and sometimes a little lemon or vinegar. You often see this sauce served with asparagus or Eggs Benedict.

Mastering the five mother sauces helps a chef or home cook develop a variety of cooking techniques and have a veritable arsenal of sauces at their disposal!