Deborah Festa, partner at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, is a California lawyer who leads the firm’s West Coast securitization and investment management practices. Outside of her work with the firm, Deborah Festa enjoys spending her time cooking French cuisine. Correctly cooking French food requires knowledge of certain specialized cooking techniques, as well as knowledge of the following five “mother sauces” that serve as a base for all other French sauces.
1. Bechamel: This white sauce is traditionally created by combining a roux with dairy, such as milk or sour cream, along with nutmeg. It is commonly used as a base for creamy French sauces, such as Mornay sauce.
2. Espagnole: Made with a dark roux and beef or veal stock, espagnole is a brown blend of meat and vegetables that must be allowed to reduce slowly. It pairs well with red wines and hearty meats, such as filet mignon.
3. Veloute: Chicken, fish, or veal stock is mixed with a white roux in order to create veloute. It does not stand as a sauce on its own, but is a base for gravies in dishes such as chicken pot pie.
4. Tomato: In French cooking, this sauce is traditionally created by rendering salt pork and sauteing vegetables before combining the mixture with tomatoes and a roux. It is usually paired with pasta, but can also be served atop dishes such as poached fish.
5. Hollandaise: The only of the five sauces not prepared using a roux, this sauce thickens through an emulsification process. The addition of an egg yolk binds the butter and lemon juice. The combination of these ingredients give hollandaise a tangy, buttery taste.
