The Chef's Circle

Technique

Sauces & Stocks

Master the building blocks of the kitchen with practical guides to professional stocks, mother sauces, emulsions, and reductions.

Every busy service relies on the speed and quality of your prep, and nothing underpins a line quite like the saucier's station. This section covers the fundamental building blocks of professional kitchen work: from white and brown stocks to classic French mother sauces, modern emulsion techniques, and deep glaces. We focus on the mechanics of protein extraction, collagen conversion, and the physical science of binding.

Consistency on the pass requires precise ratios and tight temperature control. A broken emulsified sauce or a cloudy, bitter stock can ruin a service and waste expensive prep time. Here, we break down the practicalities of starch gelatinisation, acid balance, and reduction times. Whether you are troubleshooting a split hollandaise, adjusting the salt curve of a demi-glace, or managing gelatin extraction in a veal stock, these guides provide the technical baseline.

Expect clear, no-nonsense guides, step-by-step ratio breakdowns, and troubleshooting advice written by working chefs. This is where you find the essential techniques to keep your sauces stable, your stocks clean, and your prep efficient.

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Quick hits from the pass

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Questions from the pass

Sauces & Stocks: frequently asked

Why is my chicken stock cloudy?

You boiled it instead of simmering. Rapid boiling emulsifies fat and impurities into the liquid. Keep stock at a bare simmer—ideally 85°C to 90°C—and skim the surface every 30 minutes. Never stir the bones, and strain through a fine chinois lined with muslin.

How do you fix a split hollandaise?

Whisk a tablespoon of boiling water into a clean warm bowl, then slowly whisk in the split emulsion. If that fails, whisk a fresh egg yolk with a teaspoon of water over a bain-marie, then gradually stream in the broken sauce. Keep holding temperatures between 45°C and 55°C to prevent future splitting.

What is the difference between espagnole and demi-glace?

Espagnole is a classic mother sauce made from brown veal stock, roasted mirepoix, tomato purée, and brown roux. Demi-glace is a 50/50 reduction of this espagnole and fresh brown veal stock, simmered down by half until it coats the back of a spoon. Use demi-glace as the base for finished sauces like Bordelaise.

Why does my beurre blanc split when keeping it warm?

Beurre blanc is a temporary emulsion. It splits if it goes above 58°C, which melts the milk solids, or below 45°C, where the butter solidifies. To hold it during service, keep it in a thermos flask or a warm bain-marie, and whisk in a splash of heavy cream during reduction to stabilise the proteins.

How much should you reduce stock to make glace de viande?

Reduce brown veal or beef stock by 85% to 90% of its original volume. Simmer it slowly over low heat for 12 to 24 hours, skimming constantly. It is ready when it reaches a thick, syrupy consistency that solidifies into a rubbery gelatin when chilled. Use a 10:1 stock-to-glaze ratio as your guide.

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