Aromatics & Mirepoix
French Mirepoix
Mirepoix is the foundational flavour base of French cooking: 50% onion, 25% carrot, 25% celery by weight. It infuses fat or liquid with aromatic compounds and is then strained or left in depending on the dish. White mirepoix (onion, leek, celery root, parsnip) builds lighter bases for white stocks and seafood.
Global Aromatic Bases
Holy Trinity (Cajun/Creole): equal parts onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Sofrito (Latin/Spanish): tomato, garlic, onion, sweet pepper cooked in olive oil. Ginger-Garlic-Scallion (Chinese/Asian): added to hot oil in the same order every time. Mastering these allows authentic cooking across traditions.
Stocks & Broths
White Stock (Fond Blanc)
Cold water and raw bones. Bring slowly to a simmer — never a boil. Boiling emulsifies fat into the water, producing a cloudy, greasy stock. Skim grey foam (coagulated protein) for the first 20 minutes — this is the critical clarity step. Add mirepoix and bouquet garni after skimming. Simmer 4–6 hours for chicken or veal. Strain.
Brown Stock (Fond Brun)
Roast raw bones at 220°C until deeply browned but not burnt. Roast mirepoix with tomato paste until brick red. Combine in stockpot with cold water. The Maillard reaction during roasting creates hundreds of complex flavour compounds unavailable in white stock.
The Simmer vs The Boil
A simmer is 85°C–95°C — occasional bubbles at the surface. A boil is 100°C — violent and churning. Boiling extracts bitterness from bones, permanently emulsifies fat into the liquid, and destroys clarity. Once stock is greasy and cloudy from boiling, there is no recovery. Keep the simmer. When in doubt, remove the lid.
The Five Mother Sauces
The Roux
Equal parts butter and flour by weight, cooked together. White roux: 2 minutes, barely cooked — used for béchamel. Blond roux: 5–7 minutes, pale gold — used for velouté. Brown roux: 15–20 minutes, dark and nutty — used for Espagnole. The longer the roux cooks, the less thickening power but more flavour it contributes.
Béchamel & Velouté
Béchamel: white roux + hot milk — base for gratin, lasagne, croque monsieur. Velouté: blond roux + white stock (chicken, veal, or fish). Whisk constantly when adding hot liquid to roux. Consistency is controlled by the roux ratio. Season béchamel with salt, white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
Espagnole, Tomato & Hollandaise
Espagnole: brown roux + brown stock + tomato paste — reduced to demi-glace. Tomato sauce: tomatoes and aromatics cooked low and slow. Hollandaise: warm emulsion of egg yolks + clarified butter + lemon juice — no roux. Temperature is critical for hollandaise: too hot scrambles the yolks, too cool prevents emulsification.
The Sauce Derivatives
Prepare a flawless béchamel from scratch. Create two daughter sauces: Mornay (béchamel + Gruyère + Parmesan) and Soubise (béchamel + sweated puréed onions).
Success criteria: Béchamel is silky and lump-free. Mornay is glossy with cheese fully incorporated. Soubise is smooth with no visible onion chunks. All three coat the back of a spoon cleanly.
Phase 2 Practice Exercises
12 exercises to build skill through direct application.
Mirepoix Three Sizes
200g mirepoix: rough (stock), medium (standard), matignon (to serve).
- Size selection
- Uniformity
- Application understanding
White Chicken Stock
2 litres white stock. Skim 20 min. Simmer 4 hours. Strain.
- Clarity technique
- Skimming discipline
- Simmer control
Brown Beef Stock
Roast bones and mirepoix with tomato paste. Make 1 litre brown stock.
- Roasting for Maillard
- Tomato paste caramelisation
- Depth of flavour
Simmer Temperature Hold
Maintain water at 88°C for 30 minutes using only stove adjustment.
- Temperature sensitivity
- Burner control
- Simmer discipline
Three Roux Stages
Make white (2min), blond (7min), brown roux (20min). Compare thickening power.
- Stage recognition
- Colour progression
- Power comparison
Perfect Béchamel
500ml lump-free béchamel. Test: coat the back of a spoon.
- Roux-to-milk ratio
- Lump prevention
- Consistency testing
Mornay and Soubise
Transform béchamel into Mornay (for a gratin) and Soubise (with poached fish).
- Daughter sauce technique
- Cheese incorporation
- Onion purée smoothness
Chicken Velouté
500ml velouté using own white stock and blond roux.
- Velouté construction
- Blond roux
- Stock-based sauce
Hollandaise
Make hollandaise on a double boiler. If it breaks, analyse why and rebuild.
- Emulsion theory
- Temperature control
- Recovery technique
Stock Reduction
Reduce 500ml brown stock to 125ml demi-glace. Taste at each stage.
- Reduction technique
- Flavour concentration
- Viscosity check
Global Bases
Cook mirepoix, sofrito, and ginger-garlic-scallion. Smell and taste each.
- Base recognition
- Global flavour profiles
- Application to dishes
Sauce Tasting Panel
Prepare all five mother sauces in small quantities. Taste against criteria.
- Mother sauce mastery
- Critical tasting
- Diagnosis skills