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With Turkey Day quickly approaching, there has been a lot of talk on the web about whether or not you should brine your bird. Although there are good arguments from both camps, I think it is first important that the science of brining is understood before making any decisions.

A traditional brine is a water based liquid that contains between 3-6% salt by weight. Along with salt, a brine will contain aromatic herbs, spices and sometimes vegetables (usually mirepoix, garlic, etc).

So Why Would You Brine Meat?

Brining has two distinct effects on muscle tissue.

First, the high salinity of the brine “disrupts the structure of the muscle filaments” (On Food and Cooking, Pg 155). At about 3% salinity, the brine will partially dissolve “the protein structure” which supports the muscle filaments that contract when cooked. The more these muscles filaments are allowed to contract, the tougher your meat will be.

At about 5.5% salinity, the muscle filaments themselves are partially dissolved. Since their contracting ability is hindered by the salt, the muscle filaments contract less, effectively making your meat more tender.

Second, they way in which salt interacts with protein, allows the protein to retain more moisture, which is absorbed from the liquid of the brine itself. According to Harold McGee’s on Food and Cooking:

The meat’s weight increases by 10% or more. When cooked, the meat still loses around 20% of its weight in moisture, but this loss is counterbalanced by the brine absorbed, so the moisture loss is effectively cut in half. (PG 156)

This is what allows brined meat to stay more moist, compared to its unbrined counterpart.

The reason why a lot of people prefer to brine their turkey for the big day is because turkey breasts are finished cooking at around 145 degrees F, and start to dry out at around 155 F. The legs on the other hand need to be cooked to about 165 degrees F, because they have a much higher amount of connective tissue (in the form of collagen), and collagen doesn’t begin to break down until about 160 degrees F.

So by the time the turkey legs are done, the breasts are overcooked and dried out.

The problem with brining a turkey is the drippings contain much more water, and are too salty to make a proper pan gravy. Harrold McGee actually doesn’t brine his Thanksgiving Bird, and he explains why in his New York Times Article “Miracle Cure or Just Salt Water?”

Also, check out this Stella Forum Thread on Brining.

Sauce Tomat, better known as tomato sauce, is a French Mother Sauce based on tomatoes. This base can consist of fresh tomatoes cooked down into a liquid, canned tomatoes, tomato puree or even tomato paste.

“Hey, wait a second now, how is tomato sauce a French Mother sauce when it’s clearly Italian?”

Well, you do know it was the Italians that taught the French  to cook right? But that’s a whole other post. Suffice it to say that just like all the other mother sauces, “Sauce Tomat” is an incredibly versatile base sauce that can have any number of variations.

But before we start playing around with tomato sauce, it is important to first understand the classic version. My favorite classical recipe for Sauce Tomat is Escoffier’s version.

Escoffier’s Sauce Tomat Recipe

Although most of the sauce recipes that I’ve been giving for the Mother Sauces yield 1 quart (1 liter), this recipe will yield 2 quarts since you can almost never have enough tomato sauce, and it is always better the next day anyway. For Escoffier’s recipe you will need:

• 2-3 oz (56-84 g) Salt Pork. Salt pork comes from the belly portion of the pig, just like bacon. However, unlike bacon, salt pork is never smoked, and the fattier (more white), the better.
• 3 oz (84 g) Carrots, peeled and medium diced
• 3 oz (84 g) White or Yellow onion, medium diced
• 2 oz (56 g) whole butter
• 2-3 oz (56-84 g) Flour, All Purpose
• 5 lbs (2.25 Kilos) Raw, Good quality tomatoes, quartered
• 1 qt (1 lt) White Veal Stock
• 1 clove freshly crushed garlic
• Salt and Pepper To taste
• Pinch of Sugar

1. In his book, Escoffier calls for you to “fry the salt pork in the butter until the pork is nearly melted.” The term frying can be misleading, and what he’s really calling for you to do is to render the fat.
2. To render out the salt pork properly, place the salt pork in a heavy bottom saucepan with a tablespoon of water, cover with a lid, and place over medium heat. Check in about 5 minutes. The steam from the water will allow the fat to render out of the salt pork before it starts to brown or burn.
3. After the salt pork is nice and rendered out, add in your butter, carrots and onions, and sweat over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes, or until they become nice and tender and start to release their aromatic aromas.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the carrots and onions and continue to cook for another few minutes. You’re essentially using the residual fat from the butter and salt pork to make a blond roux.
5. Add in your raw tomatoes.  Roast with other ingredients until they start to soften and release some of their liquid.
6. Add in your white veal stock and a clove of crushed garlic.
7. Cover the pot with a lid, and Escoffier says to put it in a moderate oven, which is about 350 degrees F or 175 C. If your sauce pot won’t fit, you can always just simmer it on your stove top. Bake in oven or simmer for 1.5-2 hours.
8. Escoffier’s classical recipe also calls for you to pass your finished sauce through a Tamis, but if you’re looking for a smooth tomato sauce, I would instead recommend that you first blend it in a blender, and then press it through a chinois.
9. Once you have passed your sauce through the chinois, finish by seasoning it with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.
10. Note on Sugar: The addition of sugar is used to balance the natural acidity of the tomatoes. Your tomato sauce should not taste sweet, unless you enjoy putting ketchup on your pasta.

Modern Variations on Escoffier’s Sauce Tomat

The major difference between Escoffier’s version of sauce tomat and modern variations that are taught in culinary school are two fold. (1), The Roux is omitted and instead of using fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes and tomato puree are used in the respective ratio of 2:1 and, (2) Instead of using white veal stock, modern recipes call for the simmering of a roasted ham bone.

Other than that, the process is pretty much the same as discussed above. Follow the same recipe and process, except use 3lbs of canned tomatoes and 2lbs of tomato puree instead of the 5lbs of fresh tomatoes. Simmer for two hours with the addition of a roasted ham bone and omit the veal stock since the tomato puree and canned tomatoes offer plenty liquid for simmering the sauce.

Another modern touch is the common use of aromatic fresh herbs including bay leaves, thyme, basil and oregano. Add these at your own discretion, at the end of the cooking process so that the flavor of the fresh herbs does not break down.

Basic Light Tomato Sauce

If you’re looking for a lighter version of tomato sauce to serve with a more delicate dish such as poached fish, use the ratios and procedure below.

• 1 part mirepoix, (Onions, Carrot and Celery, at a 2:1:1 Ratio), small dice
• 4-5 parts fresh or canned tomatoes
• Fresh Chopped Garlic and Herbs To Taste
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper To Taste
• Butter and Heavy Cream to finish (Optional)

1. Start by sweating your mirepoix over medium heat in a sauce pan with a little bit of olive oil.
2. Once the mirepoix becomes nice and soft, and starts to release its sweet aroma (about 5-10 minutes) add in your tomatoes and fresh chopped garlic.
3. Simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Add fresh herbs to taste.
4. At this point, if you desire a smooth texture, you can blend your sauce and then pass it through a chinois.
5. Finish with swirling in some heavy cream and whole butter off the flame. This is optional, but if you’re not averse to butter and cream, it will add a nice flavor and mouth feel.

Further Information

• SCS 12| Sauce Tomat

UPDATE: You can find our instructional video on how to make mayonnaise here.

Like many of the mother sauces, a well made mayonnaise is the base to an endless possibility of cold, emulsified sauces. Although now days there are many good quality commercial mayonnaise available, understanding how to make a mayonnaise is basic knowledge that every cook or chef should have. Not to mention, that with the selection and use of high quality products, fresh made mayonnaise can have a far superior flavor to that of its commercial counterparts.

Some Guidelines for Making Mayonnaise

• Use a blender, food processor or a stand-top mixer with a whisk attachment. Not only will it ensure that your arm doesn’t fall off from hand whisking, but the shearing power of these devices is capable of breaking the oil into much smaller droplets, making a more stable emulsion.

• Have both your egg yolks and oil at room temperature before starting. It will make the emulsification process much easier.

• Use the freshest eggs possible, preferably organic from a farmer’s market. If cooking for children or the elderly, pasteurized egg yolks are always recommended.

Standard Ratio for Mayonnaise

At it’s most basic level, mayonnaise is simply a neutral oil emulsified into egg yolks. The ratio for a basic mayonnaise is:

• 1 yolk per 1 cup of neutral oil (canola, safflower, grape seed).

Although many classical recipes call for the addition of other ingredients, egg yolks and oil are all you need to make a mayonnaise. Some additional ingredients that are used to season mayonnaise are:

• Vinegar

• Salt

• Pepper (usually white)

• Dry Mustard

• Cayenne Pepper

• Lemon Juice

Standard Recipe For 2 Cups of Mayonnaise

1. 2 egg yolks

2. 1/2 table spoon of vinegar

3. 1/2 teaspoon salt

4. 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

5. Small Pinch cayenne

6. 2 cups Salad Oil (canola preferred)

7. 1 Tablespoon Vinegar

8. 1-2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

• Put ingredients 1-5 into a blender, food processor or KitchenAid with a whisk attachment and mix well.

• Very slowly at first, start streaming in your oil, a little at a time until your emulsification starts to form.

• Use the 1 tablespoon of vinegar to thin the mayonnaise if it starts to become too thick before the emulsification is complete.

• Once all the oil is incorporated into egg yolks and the mayonnaise is finished, it should be thick enough to be turned upside down without the mayonnaise coming out of the mixing container.

• Adjust the final seasoning with the lemon juice, salt and pepper (white, cayenne or black pepper depending on preference).

What’s The Difference Between Mayonnaise and Aioli

A common question asked is what’s the difference between mayonnaise and aioli. Now days, the term aioli has been bastardized by some chefs to be synonymous with any flavored mayonnaise. However, there is an exacting classical distinction between mayonnaise and aioli.

The difference between mayonnaise and aioli is the simple fact that aioli is made with extra virgin olive oil and has the addition of crushed garlic. So to make aioli, follow the standard recipe above, but instead, substitute the canola oil for extra virgin olive oil and add 1 tablespoon of fresh minced garlic to the egg yolks during the blending/beating process.

The simplified ratio for Aioli is:

• 1 egg yolk + 1 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic = Aioli.

• This ratio can be seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper to yield a simple and traditional Aioli.

Mayonnaise Based Sauces

As stated before, mayonnaise is a great base to use for making other unique sauces. One of my all time favorite cook books “Charcuterie” by Michael Rhulman and Brian Polcyn, makes these suggestions:

• For Pork try adding some cumin, cayenne and lime juice.

• For Fish add saffron and garlic.

• For Chicken add lemon juice and tarragon.

• For Beef add a little fresh horse radish (I would also recommend some fresh chopped chives).

Another very traditional mayonnaise based sauce is Remoulade which is traditionally served with fish. To make a traditional remoulade you will need:

• 2 Cups of Mayonnaise

• About 1 tablespoon of good Dijon

• 1/4 cup finely chopped cornichons (Tiny, French, Sweet Pickles)

• Tablespoon chopped capers

• 1 anchovy fillet, finely chopped

• 3 tablespoons chopped parsey

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chervil

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

Mix all ingredients together and serve with fish. This is a great dipping sauce for fish and chips!

To make other mayonnaise based sauces, start with 2 cups of freshly made or neutral store bought mayonnaise and add:

• Thousand Island Dressing: 1/2 cup chili sauce, 1/2 ounce minced onion, 1 ounce finely chopped green pepper, 1 ounce drained pimiento.

• Louis Dressing: same as Thousand Island with the addition of 1/2 cup heavy cream.

• Russian Dressing: 1/2 cup chili sauce or catsup, 1 ounce fresh horseradish, 1.2 ounce minced onion.

• Chantilly: 1/2 cup of heavy creamed whipped until a stiff peak and added in just before service.

• Blue Cheese Dressing: substitute one cup of mayonnaise for one cup of sour cream (optional but really good), add 1 ounce white vinegar, /2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 4 ounces crumbled bleu cheese; thin with 1-2 cups heavy cream, half and half or buttermilk.

• Ranch Dressing: 1 1/2 cups sour cream, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 ounces wine vinegar of your choice, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, 1/2 ounce Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 1-2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 scallion (green onion) finely chopped, 2 teaspoons celery seed.

Hollandaise is by far the most finicky of all the French Mother Sauces. Numerous things can go wrong when making this sauce; whether your emulsification breaks, the eggs start to curdle, etc. Many cooks allow this sauce to frighten and intimidate them. However, if you understand the underlying principles of hollandaise, then it really isn’t that scary.
 

First and foremost, hollandaise is an emulsified sauce in which egg yolks not only serve as the emulsifier, but also as a thickening agent. The final viscosity of your sauce will be determined by how much fat is emulsified in and to what degree the egg yolks are cooked. The more you cook the egg yolks, the thicker your hollandaise will be. However, the more you cook your egg yolks, the more chance you have of ending up with scrambled eggs instead of sauce.
 

To prevent their eggs from scrambling, a lot of less experienced cooks will heat their egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl placed over a pot of gently simmering water (aka double boiler). The gentle heat of the steam is much more forgiving than a direct flame. With that said, lets go over a couple guidelines.
 

Guidelines for Making Hollandaise
 

• Eggs start to curdle at around 160-170°F/71-76°C. The trick is to heat your egg yolks enough to get them thick, but stop right before they reach this temperature.
• Acid (usually in the form of lemon juice and/or vinegar) will help to keep your egg yolks from coagulating. If the PH in you egg mixture is around 4.5, then the curdling temperature of the yolks is raised to about 195°F/90°C. This is why most classical version of hollandaise call for the addition of a vinegar reduction to be cooked with the yolks.
• When making hollandaise, some chefs use whole butter while others use clarified. Although it really comes down to personal preference, just remember that whole butter is about 15% water whereas clarified butter is straight butter fat. Because of its water content, more whole butter is needed to thicken a hollandaise then just straight clarified butter.
• Make sure your acid reduction is cool before the egg yolks are added or they may curdle.
• The fresher your egg yolks, the easier it is for you to make your emulsion.
• Use a stainless steel, round bottom bowl. The round bottom will make it easier for you to beat the egg yolks evenly and the stainless steel will not react to the acid and discolor your hollandaise.
• When adding your butter to the egg yolks, make sure that it is warm (about 130°F/55°C) but not hot. If your clarified butter is too hot it will instantly curdle your egg yolks.
• Whenever making any type of emulsion, always add the fat or oil slowly at first, a couple drops at a time. Hollandaise is no different. If you add the butter too fast, then it will give the fat a chance to “coalesce,” which will cause your sauce to separate.
• Another common reason why hollandaise will break is the addition of too much fat. The standard ratio is 6 egg yolks to 1lb of clarified butter.
• If concerned about the consumption of raw egg yolks, heat yolks to at least 165°F/74°C or use pasteurized egg yolks to make your hollandaise.

Classical Hollandaise Recipe
 

To make 2 cups of hollandaise, you will need:

• 1 1/4 lbs of butter, clarified (you should end up with about 1 lb of clarified butter)
• 1/8 teaspoon Peppercorns, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt, (kosher preferred)
• 1.5 oz White Wine Vinegar
• 1 oz cold water
• 6 Egg Yolks
• 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Hollandaise Procedure
 

• Clarify your butter.
• Place salt, vinegar and crushed peppercorns into a sauce pan and reduce by 2/3. Remove from heat and add water.
• Transfer reduction to a stainless-steel mixing bowl.
• Add egg yolks and beat over a simmering pot of water until the egg yolks become thick and creamy. (If unsure about the thickness, monitor with an instant read thermometer and make sure the eggs do not exceed 150°F/65°C).
• Once the egg yolks have reached the desired thickness, remove from heat. Using a ladle, slowly drizzle in the warm clarified butter, starting with just a few droplets first to get the emulsion going.
• Continue streaming in the clarified butter until it is completely incorporated. If the hollandaise becomes to thick before all the butter is emulsified in, thin the hollandaise with a couple drops of warm water.
• Finish by seasoning your hollandaise with salt, lemon juice and cayenne pepper to taste. Add just enough cayenne to help cut through the fat of the hollandaise and to add depth of flavor; your hollandaise should not be spicy.
• Adjust final consistency with a little bit of warm water to both lighten the sauce and give it better flow.
• Keep warm over a double boiler (ban-marie) until ready to serve. The best holding temperature is about 145°F/63°C. This temperature both discourages the growth of bacteria and is hot enough to keep the fat in your hollandaise from solidifying. For both food safety and quality control, hollandaise should not be held any longer than two hours.

How to Fix a Broken or Curdled Hollandaise
 

If your hollandaise breaks or curdles, it’s not the end of the world. Simply follow the steps below to salvage your sauce.
 

• Pass through a chinois to strain out any curdled portions of the hollandaise.
• Make sure to keep the whole strained portion of the sauce warm.
• Add 1 yolk plus 1 tablespoon of warm water to a new stainless-steel mixing bowl and whisk in your strained hollandaise.
• Congratulations, hollandaise saved!

Further Information

• SCS 9| Hollandaise Sauce