Base: Brown veal stock Derivative: 50% Espagnole reduction
Choice A • Tomato Sauce (1 Pt)
Technique: Simmered pomodoro purée layered over cutlets.
Teacher Note: The sauce profile is pure Sauce Tomate (pomodoro). Students must not confuse the dairy cheese topping with Béchamel.
Base: Tomatoes & aromatics Mother Sauce: Tomate
Choice C • None (1 Pt)
Technique: Beurre noisette; Maillard browning of milk solids.
Teacher Note: Standalone butter preparation. While melted butter is key to Hollandaise, here it is heated directly without egg emulsion or roux.
Base: Whole butter solids Category: Pan / Compound Butter
Choice B • Béchamel (1 Pt)
Technique: White roux + cream, enriched with egg yolk liaison.
Teacher Note: Classically derived from Sauce Crème (a Béchamel derivative). The cream and roux provide structure, yolk liaison adds silkiness.
Base: Heavy cream / milk Thickener: White roux + yolk liaison
Choice A • Espagnole (1 Pt)
Technique: Brown roux-based pan sauce with veal stock & wine.
Teacher Note: Classified as an Espagnole derivative. Combining brown veal fond/stock with flour/roux and Marsala wine mirrors Sauce Marchand de Vin.
Base: Brown veal stock Thickener: Roux reduction
Section 1 Subtotal: 10 Items • 10 Points • Classical Five Sauce Framework Page 1 Key Complete • Continue to Page 2
Teacher Resource Answer Key Sauce Identification • Section II
Page 2 of 2
Verified classifications, thickening mechanisms, and culinary rationales for Excerpts 11–20.
Grading Benchmark
Passing Grade: 14/20 Pts (70%)
Quick Key (11–20 • 1 Pt Each)
11: A 12: A 13: A 14: A 15: D 16: A 17: D 18: A 19: D 20: D
Choice A • Béchamel (1 Pt)
Technique: White roux + milk, flavored with Gruyère & mustard.
Teacher Note: Thermidor sauce is a fortified Mornay (Béchamel base). The roux and milk bind the delicate lobster meat prior to broiling.
Base: Whole milk / cream Mother Sauce: Béchamel
Choice A • Velouté (1 Pt)
Technique: Blond roux + chicken stock, finished with heavy cream.
Teacher Note: Sauce Suprême is the archetype Velouté daughter sauce. Unlike Béchamel, the primary simmering liquid is white poultry stock, not milk.
Base: White chicken stock Thickener: Blond roux
Choice A • None (1 Pt)
Technique: Cayenne pepper sauce whisked with melted butter.
Teacher Note: Temporary emulsion created in modern American cuisine. It lacks classical French mother sauce lineage, roux, or egg liaison.
Base: Hot pepper sauce Category: Modern Pan Emulsion
Choice A • None (1 Pt)
Technique: Stewed Provençal vegetables cooked down in olive oil.
Teacher Note: Important distractor. While it contains tomatoes, it is a vegetable stew/entremets, not a refined mother sauce or sauce derivative.
Base: Mixed vegetables & oil Category: Vegetable Ragout
Choice D • None (1 Pt)
Technique: Heavy cream & butter reduction with Parmigiano.
Teacher Note: Top student misconception. Alfredo uses NO roux or Béchamel; it is an Italian pan-emulsion of cream, butter, and cheese.
Base: Heavy cream & butter Common Pitfall: Not Béchamel
Choice A • Hollandaise (1 Pt)
Technique: Warm emulsion with tarragon, vinegar, shallots, yolks.
Teacher Note: This is Sauce Béarnaise, the leading daughter sauce of Hollandaise. Tarragon vinegar reduction replaces standard lemon juice.
Base: Egg yolk & butter Derivative: Sauce Béarnaise
Choice D • None (1 Pt)
Technique: Coconut milk simmering with herb paste & aromatics.
Teacher Note: Global cuisine comparison. Uses plant-based saturated fats (coconut milk) rather than dairy/stock roux bases.
Base: Coconut milk extract Category: Global Curry Broth
Choice A • Béchamel (1 Pt)
Technique: White roux cooked with whole milk, vegetables, chicken.
Teacher Note: While containing chicken meat, the sauce vehicle explicitly relies on milk thickened with a white roux (Béchamel base).
Base: Whole milk / roux Mother Sauce: Béchamel
Choice D • None (1 Pt)
Technique: Agrodolce (sweet & sour) sautéed vegetable reduction.
Teacher Note: Traditional Sicilian cooked eggplant salad/relish. Vinegar and sugar balance the vegetables without a classical sauce base.
Base: Sautéed eggplant & vinegar Category: Agrodolce Relish
Choice D • None (1 Pt)
Technique: Tomato paste, vinegar, molasses, and spice reduction.
Teacher Note: Distinct American condiment. Though containing tomato paste, its preparation method and flavor profile place it outside classical French Tomate.
Base: Tomato paste / molasses Category: American Barbecue Sauce
Scoring Scale (20 Pts) 18–20: Master Saucière (90–100%) • 15–17: Line Cook (75–85%) • 12–14: Apprentice (60–70%) • <12: Needs Review
1 Pt per Item (20 Pts Total)
Classical French Mother Sauce Hierarchy • Escoffier System End of Answer Key
