Small Group Workshop: French Mother Sauces with April Dodd

Each cuisine has a small handful of recipes and techniques that serve as the foundation for an entire repertoire of dishes. When used well, they give consistency and order to a wide array of menus and meals. In France, these fundamental recipes are called the Mother Sauces. There are five of them: béchamel, velouté, hollandaise, tomate and Espagnole. Their flavors and textures are the foundation of Escoffier’s famous haute cuisine. Join Assistant Director of Education April Dodd and learn to make, rescue and adapt all five. In addition to the history of the sauces, you will also learn how to make a roux blond or golden and understand when and why to use each. You'll craft a creamy white sauce that has no lumps — guaranteed. You'll learn old- and new-school ways to make a perfect, stable emulsion. You'll learn why an oven, not the stovetop, is your best friend when making a deeply flavored tomato sauce. Most importantly, you'll come away with easy-to-execute ideas to transform these sauces into many different meals, from mac & cheese to chicken noodle soup. This is a perfect workshop for lovers of French food — and for any cook who wants to hone important and versatile cooking skills