James Peterson: Sauces

By JULIETTE ROSSANT It is the sauce that distinguishes a good chef. The Saucier is a soloist in the orchestra of a great kitchen. -- Fernand Point Tom Colicchio, along with many other chefs, famously did not go to culinary school. Instead he taught himself classic technique by mastering Jacques Pepin's La Technique and La Methode. But there are other books that stand out as primers and foundations for chefs and home cooks alike. One of these is James Peterson's Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making (Wiley 2008). The third edition is updated, enlarged (with 60 new recipes, bumping the total number of recipes up to 450), color photographs and information to be mined by anyone seriously considering improving their technique or pursuing a career in culinary arts. This is one of those thick books that won't get dusty on your shelf. It will surprise you with how much it holds. Start by looking at the table of contents to get an idea of the breadth of Sauces. There is a whole chapter devoted to liaisons, or thickening agents that turn liquids into sauce: Liasons were used in ancient and medieval cooking as thickeners so that the sauces would cling to the foods they accompanied, making the food easier to eat with the fingers….For centuries since, sauces have been thickened not only to help them cling to food but to give them the look of hightly concentrated and flavorful meat juices or cooking liquids.(pp. 109-110) Each type of liason is discussed and analyzed and examples are given, both in the chapter and other recipes in the book. Examples are egg yolks (p. 116) that are used both for savory dishes like Blanquette de veau and desserts like Crème Anglaise: "Contemporary chefs sometimes use cream and egg yolks as the only finish for flourless sauces, creating a kind of savory crème anglaise…" (p. 17) It is Peterson's knowledge of both classical and avant guarde technique that gives Sauce such depth. He also discusses giblets and foie gras (p. 122) and even blood (p. 128) used in Civet De Lapin (pp. 129). Perhaps the most useful part of the book are the chapters about what Peterson calls, "integral sauces": Sauces is, in fact, about much more than making sauces, because the best sauces – what I call here integral sauces– are the direct result of a cooking process…Roasting has become more popular than ever, and the need to master the jus and the gravy ever more essential. (p. xxi) There are chapters on integral sauces for meat, fish and shellfish. Perhaps of immediate concern is the integral sauce for Thanksgiving Turkey – turn to pages 125-6 and you'll find Roast Turkey with Jus, Gravy, or Giblet Gravy. Hostess gift or a purchase for your own shelf, you'll find Sauce a rich and satisfying cookbook. Previous articles: [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef