When I was young, I found sauces — particularly French inspired — to be overpowering and a distraction from the simplicity of the dish. Somewhere along the line, I discovered how sauces can offer a perspective and a background that accentuates and mellows the flavor of the primary ingredients .
Stews can be fairly complicated — not in the preparation , but in the number of distinct flavors presented. A good sauce helps to pull it all together… With remarkable results.
My sauce in the lamb stew would be referred to as “brown sauce” or “espagnole”… One of my favorite of the famous five “mother” French sauces. Commonly this sauce combines a beef stock, mirepoix ( onions, celery and carrots — also know as the “trinity” ), tomato and seasonings.
There is plenty on line to explain the composition and usage of the other four sauces. Here is a brief explanation:
Bechamel sauce is a wonderful and useful sauce that serves as the basis for many other sauces… Rich and creamy with butter, flour and milk. Add cheese and we have a Mornay sauce! Much to the annoyance of others, Bechamel was an advisor to the King of France and popularized the sauce.
The tomato sauce recipe is often accented with bacon. It was developed by the French based on how they though the Spanish made their sauces ( like saffrito) .
The remaining two sauces are Hollandaise and Velouté … Which most Americans have some familiarity.
Sauces are well worth the effort… Take some time and find one that accents your meal. It will raise some smiles.
