Skill 8: Sauce Making (AQA GCSE Food Preparation & Nutrition): Revision Note

Skill 8: Sauce making

• A sauce is a thickened liquid used to add flavour and moisture to dishes

• There are different methods to thicken a sauce, including:

  • gelatinisation due to the addition of starch

  • reduction by evaporation

  • making an emulsion

Starch-based sauces

• Sauces which contain starch, e.g. from flour or cornflour, thicken the sauce by gelatinisation:

  • Starch granules within flour break open at around 80 °C

  • As this happens a gel is formed which thickens the sauce

• The ratio of liquid to starch determines the thickness of the sauce:

  • More liquid creates a thinner sauce

  • More starch will create a thicker sauce

• There are different methods of using starch to create a sauce:

  • Roux: the starch is mixed with butter and heated until a thick paste is formed, then milk is added slowly to form the sauce

  • All in one: all the ingredients for the sauce are added at the same time and the sauce is continually stirred or whisked until thickened

  • Blended: the starch is mixed with cold water to form a paste, then heated liquid is added and mixed whilst heating to form a sauce

  • Infused velouté: stock is used instead of milk while using the roux method to make a sauce

  • Béchamel: milk is infused with additional ingredients, such as peppercorns and bay leaves, and a sauce is then made using the roux method

Missy, via Flickr (opens in a new tab)

Reduction

• Reduction involves evaporation of the liquid in a sauce by boiling/simmering

• As the sauce reduces the flavour is concentrated and the sauce becomes thicker

• Examples of reduction sauces include tomato sauce, curry sauce and gravy

Emulsion

• An emulsion is a mixture of an oil (liquid fat) and a water-based liquid

  • Under normal circumstances oil and water are immiscible

• Emulsions are created by vigorous mixing of the oil and water together with an emulsifier, such as egg yolk

• Examples include mayonnaise, milk and ice cream