From alfredo to hollandaise, sauces and emulsions are the crème de la crème of cooking. Transform bland veggie dishes into sumptuous side dishes or garnish pasta and risotto for restaurant-quality flavor – sauces and emulsions are the building blocks to masterful cooking. Here, we’ll show you how by mastering the art of whisking!

Types of Sauces and Emulsions

When it comes to sauces and emulsions, there are two main categories: hot sauces and cold sauces. Hot sauces are flavorful bases, such as béchamel, alfredo, and demi-glace, whereas cold sauces tend to be oil-based with eggs, such as mayonnaise, hollandaise, and béarnaise. The former is typically used to flavor cooked entrees or side dishes and the latter is often utilized to make salads, sandwiches, or poached eggs.

Whisking Over Heat

Hot sauces often rely on cooked ingredients, such as mirepoix or tomato puree, and require a lot of whisking in order to reduce and thicken the sauce. Whisking over heat helps break down the lumps of ingredients to create smooth, velvety sauces that complement the main dishes. To make a bechamel sauce, for example, melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pot, add in flour, then gradually add warm milk while whisking to prevent lumps. From here, you can adjust seasoning and create variations of bechamel for dishes like Mac and cheese or Mornay Sauce.

Egg-Based Sauces and Emulsions

By combining eggs with oil, one can make egg-based sauces. To get started, bring a cup of filtered water to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and stir at least a tablespoon of cold oil into the water to slow down the cooking process. Then, slowly add half an egg yolk into the gray-colored water while whisking actively. This process will create a pale yellow soup and you can start adding more oil as you whisk it slowly. Depending on the desired thickness, you can keep adding oil until you reach your desired consistency. The end result should be a light, creamy sauce. From here, you can play with the flavors by adding herbs, spices, or other ingredients. You’ve just made a homemade mayonnaise or hollandaise!

Serving Suggestions

Now that you’ve mastered the secrets to making sauces and emulsions, you can wow your family and guests with expert dishes. Serve up a creamy mac and cheese with velvety bechamel sauce or dress up boiled vegetables with a drizzle of homemade mayonnaise. For the gourmand in you, try your hand at Béarnaise sauce to top grilled steaks or salmon. Or get fancy with your eggs Benedict recipe and dollop hollandaise sauce onto the English muffins. Enjoying the simple pleasures of home cooking has never been easier!