Cooking Lessons Classic Sauce Making 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Espagnole sauce is traditionally reduced with additional brown stock to create which grand finishing sauce?
- Demi-glace (Correct answer)
- Jus lié
- Bordelaise
- Chasseur
Correct answer: Demi-glace
Demi-glace is classically equal parts espagnole and brown stock reduced by half.
Question 2: A student's béchamel tastes fine but is full of lumps. What most likely went wrong?
- Hot milk was added too fast to the roux without whisking (Correct answer)
- The milk was scalded first
- Too much butter was used in the roux
- The sauce simmered too long
Correct answer: Hot milk was added too fast to the roux without whisking
Adding liquid too quickly without constant whisking lets the roux clump instead of dispersing.
Question 3: Which aromatic garnish — an onion studded with cloves and a bay leaf — is classically steeped in béchamel?
- Onion piqué (Correct answer)
- Bouquet garni
- Sachet d'épices
- Mirepoix
Correct answer: Onion piqué
The onion piqué infuses béchamel with subtle clove and bay flavor.
Question 4: What distinguishes sauce béarnaise from hollandaise?
- Béarnaise uses a tarragon-shallot-vinegar reduction instead of lemon juice (Correct answer)
- Béarnaise is thickened with roux
- Béarnaise contains no butter
- Béarnaise is served cold
Correct answer: Béarnaise uses a tarragon-shallot-vinegar reduction instead of lemon juice
Béarnaise replaces hollandaise's lemon with a reduction of vinegar, shallots, and tarragon.
Question 5: When making a pan sauce after searing meat, what is the purpose of deglazing?
- To dissolve the flavorful browned fond into the liquid (Correct answer)
- To cool the pan quickly for safety
- To remove excess salt from the pan
- To thicken the sauce with fat
Correct answer: To dissolve the flavorful browned fond into the liquid
Deglazing lifts the caramelized fond off the pan bottom to flavor the sauce.
Question 6: Which thickener produces a glossy, translucent sauce and thickens almost instantly when added as a cold-water slurry to simmering liquid?
- Cornstarch (Correct answer)
- White roux
- Beurre manié
- Egg yolk liaison
Correct answer: Cornstarch
Cornstarch slurry gelatinizes quickly and yields a clear, glossy finish.
Question 7: Why is clarified butter often preferred over whole butter for making hollandaise?
- Removing water and milk solids yields a thicker, more stable emulsion (Correct answer)
- It contains more protein for structure
- It is easier to melt
- It adds acidity to balance the yolks
Correct answer: Removing water and milk solids yields a thicker, more stable emulsion
Clarified butter's lack of water makes the emulsion richer and less prone to thinning or breaking.
