#2 What is French sauce?
French sauce
Bon appétit!
What is French sauce?
A distinctive feature of French cuisine is the use of sauces, which are an essential accent to dishes.
The sauce is similar to dashi in Japan, and is poured over meat, fish, and vegetables to add flavor to the dish.
In a classic French restaurant, the sauces are made by the head chef with the most experience.
It is clear that sauces play an important role in French cuisine.
Here we introduce the origins of the French Alps "sauce".
▲ France in the 17th and 18th centuries
1. What is French sauce?
From the 17th century, roux was used to thicken the broth for stews, and sauces became similar to the sauces used in French cuisine today .
In the 18th and 19th centuries, French cuisine became more complex and emphasis was placed on splendor and beauty.
Along with this, different types of sauces were created .
▲ Antonin Carlem
Chef Antonin Karem also created a system for many types of sauces.
Kalem created an innovative system for adding other ingredients to a basic sauce to create derivative sauces.
▲ Auguste Escoffier
In the 20th century, a new chef, Auguste Escoffier , proposed the idea of using dashi as the base for sauces.
French cuisine gradually became simpler and more streamlined.
This time the theme is French sauce.
What kind of sauce do you like?
When you say sauce, it's not a culture that's very familiar in Japan, and the only things that come to mind are tartar sauce and oyster sauce, right?
That's right!
But sauce is a great seasoning that adds a little extra flavor to a dish.
Huh.
The sauce culture in France has been around for quite some time.
That's right.
By the way, what kind of sauce was used in the past?
Yes, it seems that the sauces used in medieval French cuisine were mostly simple or rather rough dishes made by mixing spices with a sour liquid and thickening it with bread.
Does it taste like bean paste?
Well, maybe that's true.
I think the sauce isn't very exciting.
Admittedly, I don't really have a clear image of it.
There is pasta sauce in Japan too.
That's about it.
I see!
That's right!
Let's take a look at various French Alps sauces!
2. Alpine tomato sauce?
The Savoie Alps is famous for its milk and cheese, but it also has an abundance of spices and dried fruits.
For this reason, many dishes use spices and dried fruits.
▲French Alps
The Savoie Alps was the first region in France where Italian food culture spread.
There are many tomato and pasta dishes, which are Italian specialties that were introduced around the 18th century.
One of them is Crozet.
▲Crozet
Crozet is a type of pasta eaten during Obon.
If you look closely, you will see that the pasta has a cross on it, a sign of respect for those who have passed away.
It is a small, thin, rectangular pasta dish topped with a special tomato sauce and thinly sliced Alpine cheese.
Tomato sauces used in French cuisine are characterized by their rich, deep flavor, often made with tomatoes, aromatic vegetables, bouillon, ham, and bacon.
By the way
One theory is that tomatoes themselves became popular in France in 1790 during the French Revolution when revolutionaries in Marseilles introduced them to farmers while singing the national anthem , and they became widely used as food in French cuisine .
What image comes to mind when you think of the Alps?
Um,
Of course it's cheese fondue!
disappointing!
Cheese fondue is a Swiss specialty.
Huh. I've never heard of that!
By the way, the tomato sauce I introduced earlier tends to have a stronger aroma and flavor from spices, condiments, and herbs than in Japan, and is usually used for pasta.
Please try it.
Thank you for the meal. Yes!
It has a unique taste, with a refreshing tomato flavor and a hint of herbs and wine.
It's a very addictive taste.
Right?
Now, next I'd like to explain about a rather unusual cheese French sauce.
Oh! I'm looking forward to it.
3. Cheese sauce
One theory is that it began when Madame de Montespan, the mistress of Louis XIV, created a sauce containing over 100 different types of cheese.
Alpine Savoie has many dishes that use dairy products.
Tom cheese and wine
Sauces that use dairy products fall into the category of sauce blanc (meaning white sauce).
Cheese sauces include Mornay sauce, which is a mixture of bechamel sauce, Gruyère cheese, Parmesan cheese, and butter.
Cheese sauces have an absolute presence in Alpine and Savoyard cuisine.
▲ White mold cheese
It is loved for a wide range of dishes, from pasta to gratin and meat dishes.
▲ Goat cheese (Chevre)
Savoyards mostly make their own at home rather than buying from the local supermarket.
Tartiflette , soul food of the Alps
▲ Tartiflet
Alpine gratin made with potatoes, onions, bacon and a rich cheese sauce .
Cheeses such as Rebourchon, which is similar to Camembert, or hard Tomme may also be used.
Depending on the household, cream, milk, consommé, or bouillon may be added.
Each family makes their own cheese, each with a different flavor.
Cheese is a part of the lives of people in the Alps.
I'm so jealous.
What is Olivier's favorite cheese?
Is it me?
Yes, Roquefort is my favorite!
Rock, rock...huh?
Oh, sorry!
It's about blue cheese.
By the way, the Alpine way is to eat blue cheese sauce with meat!
I see.
i will try!
Do you have a favorite cheese?
Huh!
Even if you say it suddenly...
That's right, I'm sorry.
Actually! I have cheese sauce ready.
Wow!
It smells amazing.
It's proof that it's real cheese!
We had the blue cheese and tom.
Please, try it.
Well, excuse me. Yes!
It's delicious, isn't it?
It's easy to eat and not only tastes of cheese but also has a wonderful herbal aroma!
Great! See you next time...
(Oh, please don't eat it all. Leave some for me too...)
