Part Four : Chapter Fourteen : Mise en Place for Stocks, Sauces, and Soups

When I started reading tonight's chapter of The Professional Chef, I was hoping it would be a first read before stepping into the kitchen to take things step-by-step and show you lots of pictures. That was not the case since this chapter was more of an introduction to the different types of aromatics, flavorings and thickening agents for soups, stocks and sauces.

Bouquets and Sachets are preparations of aromatics used for flavoring purposes. They are added during the cooking process. A bouquet garni is a tied bundle of thyme, parsley stems, bay leaf, celery and leek. The leek leaves act as the wrapping for the rest of the ingredients. A sachet is usually a bundle of peppercorns, as well as other herbs and spices all tied up in a bag made of cheesecloth. A sachet is very similar to a tea bag in the way it infuses the liquid in which it is submerged.

I've spoken about Mirepoix in the past, the French word for a combination of carrots, celery and onions that acts as the base flavor profile for many stocks, soups and sauces. There are many variations on the basic mirepoix, which we will learn about as we delve into the recipe portion of this part of the textbook.

A roux is a thickening agent that consists of a flour and a fat. Usually, this means lots of butter, melted, and then mixed with the flour, cooking it until it becomes the correct color for the recipe at hand. The basic formula is three parts flour to two parts fat. The colors are divided into four basic groups: white, blond, brown and dark, depending on how long it is cooked. Once roux is created, it is added to another liquid to thicken it.

Clarified butter is made by heating whole butter until it separates and the fat can be skimmed off the top. Many recipes call for this, as opposed to plain melted butter, because it can then be used at a higher temperature. Many rouxs start off with clarified butter. Ghee, which is used in many Asian cuisines, is another type of clarified butter, and can usually be purchased in Asian markets, as well as the Global aisle at the grocery store.

Pure starch slurries have a greater thickening power than other methods we've discussed. Ingredients such as cornstarch and arrowroot have these properties, and they don't require the extended simmering time that a roux would require. The slurry is created by submersing the ingredient of choice into cold water, before adding it to the soup or sauce. This is the quickest way to thicken.

The final page of this chapter discusses Liaisons. A liaison is a mixture of egg yolks and cream that is used to thicken sauces and soups. This mixture does not thicken in the same way that a roux or a slurry would, but adds sheen, body and flavor to the dish, as well as light golden-ivory color. To add a liaison to your dish, you'll want to use a process known as tempering, to avoid curdling the eggs. Tempering involves adding a small amount of the hot liquid to the egg mixture, in order to even the temperature out before pouring it into the main pot. Once the temperate is slowly regulated, it can be incorporated into the dish without risk of curdling. 

In the next chapter, we start to learn about making stocks and I will be applying these lessons to some of the recipes provided for practice. If all goes according to plan, I'll have seen my last carton of store-bought stock, because why buy it, when you can make it yourself!