In French culinary tradition, every sauce in existence can be traced back to five base sauces — the "mother sauces." Mastering these five sauces gives you the foundation to create literally hundreds of variations, from a simple cheese sauce to a complex béarnaise.
What Are the Mother Sauces?
The concept of mother sauces was codified by French chef Auguste Escoffier in the early 20th century. He identified five base sauces from which all others are derived. Think of them as the "parent" sauces — every other sauce is a "child" with added ingredients.
1. Béchamel (White Sauce)
The simplest and most versatile mother sauce. Béchamel is made from three ingredients: butter, flour, and milk.
How to make it: Melt butter over medium heat, whisk in an equal amount of flour to create a roux (paste), cook for 2 minutes, then gradually whisk in warm milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth (about 5-7 minutes). Season with salt, white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
Daughter sauces:
- Mornay Sauce: Béchamel + Gruyère and Parmesan cheese (used in mac and cheese, gratins)
- Soubise Sauce: Béchamel + puréed onions
- Mustard Sauce: Béchamel + Dijon mustard
- Cream Sauce: Béchamel + extra heavy cream
2. Velouté (Light Stock Sauce)
Similar to béchamel but made with light stock (chicken, fish, or veal) instead of milk. The result is a silky, savory sauce with more depth.
How to make it: Make a blond roux (butter + flour, cooked until light golden), then gradually whisk in warm stock. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, skimming any foam. Strain through a fine sieve for a perfectly smooth result.
Daughter sauces:
- Allemande: Velouté + egg yolks and lemon juice
- Suprême: Chicken velouté + heavy cream and mushrooms
- Bercy: Fish velouté + shallots, white wine, and parsley
3. Espagnole (Brown Sauce)
A rich, deeply flavored sauce made from a dark roux, brown stock, and tomatoes. It takes time but creates an incredibly complex flavor base.
How to make it: Make a dark roux (cooked until brown, about 10 minutes). Add mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery), tomato paste, and brown stock. Simmer for hours, skimming regularly, until reduced by half. Strain.
The most important daughter sauce:
- Demi-Glace: Espagnole + more brown stock, reduced by half. This is the foundation of fine French cooking — used in pan sauces, glazes, and braises.
- Bordelaise: Demi-glace + red wine, shallots, bone marrow
- Chasseur (Hunter's Sauce): Demi-glace + mushrooms, tomatoes, white wine
4. Hollandaise
The only mother sauce that's an emulsion rather than thickened with a roux. Hollandaise is made from egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice — rich, creamy, and famously tricky to master.
How to make it: Whisk egg yolks and lemon juice over a double boiler (low heat is essential — too hot and the eggs scramble). Very slowly drizzle in clarified melted butter while whisking constantly until you get a thick, creamy, pourable sauce. Season with salt, white pepper, and cayenne.
Daughter sauces:
- Béarnaise: Hollandaise + tarragon, shallots, white wine vinegar reduction (the classic steak sauce)
- Mousseline: Hollandaise + whipped cream (lighter, airier version)
- Maltaise: Hollandaise + blood orange juice
5. Tomato Sauce
The most familiar mother sauce worldwide. While we all know basic tomato sauce, the French version is more refined, using a roux base and aromatics for a smoother, more complex result.
How to make it: Sauté onion, carrot, and garlic in olive oil. Add tomato paste, cook 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, a pinch of sugar, and stock. Simmer 45-60 minutes. Blend until smooth, season, and finish with butter for richness.
Daughter sauces:
- Marinara: Tomato sauce + garlic, oregano, basil (the Italian classic)
- Créole: Tomato sauce + onion, peppers, celery, Cajun spices
- Arrabbiata: Tomato sauce + red chili flakes, garlic
- Puttanesca: Tomato sauce + olives, capers, anchovies
Why You Should Learn Them
Knowing the five mother sauces isn't about memorizing French terminology — it's about understanding the logic behind how sauces work. Once you know how to make a roux, you can thicken anything. Once you understand emulsions, hollandaise becomes intuitive. And once you've made one daughter sauce, creating your own variations becomes natural.
Start with béchamel and tomato sauce — they're the easiest and most practical. Then work your way up to velouté and eventually tackle hollandaise. Espagnole is a weekend project, but the demi-glace you'll produce is worth every minute.
💡 Elena's Quick Tips
- Always use warm or hot liquid when adding to a roux — cold liquid creates lumps
- For hollandaise, keep the heat LOW. If the bowl feels too hot to touch, it's too hot
- Tomato sauce improves with time — make a big batch and freeze portions
- A good demi-glace can be frozen in ice cube trays for instant pan sauce enhancement