SAUCES
Sauces are a necessary component of almost all types of dishes. They contain various flavoring, aromatic, and coloring substances, which improve the taste and appearance of the dish and add juiciness. Sauces containing butter, eggs, milk, cream, ham, sausages, etc., significantly increase the nutritional and energy value of the dishes.
Sauces are served separately or poured over the main product of the dish. They are also used as a filling or a binding component in the preparation of some dishes.
The base of the sauces consists of meat, poultry, fish, vegetable, or mushroom stock, milk, cream, butter, sunflower oil, or vinegar. A large proportion of sauces include fried or baked flour, which gives them a specific density. Dry and butter-based flour roux are used, light and dark respectively.
Dry flour roux is obtained by baking flour in a layer 4-5 cm thick until it becomes a loose mass. The finished product has a light cream or light brown color, which depends on the baking temperature and the duration of processing.
Butter flour roux is prepared by frying flour in fat while stirring constantly. At a fat temperature of 115-120°C, a light-colored roux is obtained, and at 150°C, a dark-colored one.
Aromatic vegetables are added to the sauce in their natural state or pre-fried.
Finished sauces must have a homogeneous consistency, without skin or fat floating on the surface, and a color, aroma, and taste characteristic of the light sauce.
Depending on the temperature at which they are served, sauces are divided into hot and cold. Hot sauces should have the same temperature as the dish, and in some cases, be even hotter than it.
Cold sauces are combined with hot dishes by being served separately in a gravy boat.