Sauces are central to the character of food, so much so that Chef August Escoffier declared that sauces were the reason for the supremacy of French cuisine.

The world of cuisine has evolved from one where the sauce is the star of the dish, and the pride of the skilled saucier, to an afterthought or something to hold a dish together.  Rather than being central to the character of a hot dish, the sauce has merely become the component that keeps the meal from being too dry.

In a new Saucery Booklet, Unilever Foodsolutions explores the magic of sauce, giving chefs insights into what sauces can do for your menus, your business and your bottom line.  The booklet looks at some of the bad sauce habits in sauce preparation today and the ensuing consequences.  “One typical example is a lack of precision when making complex sauces such as Hollandaise, resulting in split or overcooked sauces which result in wastage and increased costs,” comments Craig Elliott, National Executive Head Chef of Unilever Foodsolutions.   

Mistakes usually made during sauce preparation, such as using too much seasoning, the wrong ingredients and incorrect stock can result in a poor sauce and dissatisfied customers. The booklet takes the reader back to basics by revisiting the recipes for the five mother sauces – Velouté, Béchamel, Espagnole, Tomato and Hollandaise.  Using step-by-step photos, the booklet shows readers how to make these sauces from scratch, which can vary in preparation time from 25 minutes to seven hours, offering the alternative of combinations of Knorr ready-made sauce products, which can be prepared within minutes.

As the industry’s leading supplier of superior quality, ready-made sauces, Unilever Foodsolutions is an established authority on sauces, and in the Saucery Booklet, they show alternative ways to create quality sauces more quickly, with the right instant scratch products.

“Chefs today face the modern challenges of lack of time, manpower or the desire to make sauces from scratch, and the saucery booklet offers the alternative of a selection of ready-made elaborated sauces, in the form of the Knorr Sauce Kit,” continues Elliott.

The kit comprises Knorr Basic sauces, such as the basic white sauce and the basic brown sauce. The Knorr Premium sauces (Demi Glace, Broccoli Sauce, Mushroom sauce, and Medley of Cheeses Sauce) take only a few minutes to prepare, creating a variety of the finest sauces to compliment first class cuisine. The Knorr Stir and Serve Sauces (Creamy Cheese, Creamy Mushroom, Black Pepper, Roasted Onion Gravy and Roast Meat Gravy) are complete sauce solutions that are perfect for the made-to-order environment. The Knorr Brown Roux and Knorr White Roux are convenient alternatives to making roux from scratch. The Knorr Garde d’Or Sauces (Red Wine Sauce, Pepper Sauce, Mustard Sauce, Béarnaise Sauce, Hollandaise Sauce and Green Pepper Sauce) are a range of ready-to-use, high quality sauces made to the highest standards, using fresh ingredients and conveniently packaged allowing for integrity of the contents for the longest possible time. The ready-to-use World Sauces range (Tikka Sauce, Garlic Sauce, Sweet & Sour Sauce, Honey & Soy Sauce, Pepper Sauce, Korma Sauce and the Red Pesto Sauce) brings exotic flavours and trends of the world to the kitchen. Knorr Meal Mixes (Beef Stroganoff, Chicken a la King and Spaghetti Bolognaise, Basil Chicken Pan and Sweet & Sour Chicken) are a range of cook-in-sauces that assist in creating flavourful dishes. Also included in the booklet is a range of the popular sishebo mixes from Robertson’s. Jikelele includes soup, soya and spices so no extra thickening or seasoning is necessary.

In the final chapters of the booklet, Unilever Foodsolutions shares some great recipes developed specifically for the very different needs of restaurants, hotels and canteens – but all putting the emphasis back on the essential component of a good sauce.

For further information or to obtain your copy of the Saucery Booklet, please visit www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.za or call  0860 314 151  0860 314 151 . 

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF UNILEVER FOODSOLUTIONS BY STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT VINOLIA MOKHUTLE ON  011 672 2037  011 672 2037 OR EMAIL Vinolia@stratpr.co.za.