Sauces

Information and recipes for sweet and savoury sauces

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See also:   Types of Sauces and how to make them

A sauce is a liquid or semi liquid preparation served with food principally to enhance its flavour, appearance or to make it more palatable. Although there are now lots of ready made and convenience sauce mixes available in one form or another, making your own sauce is not only cheaper but in most cases they taste much nicer and once you've mastered the two basic sauce- making techniques, you will be able to create all manner of sauces for any occasion in a matter of minutes.

They are good way to add interest  or a new dimension to everyday foods such as meat, poultry, fish and vegetables and many are very simple and quick to make.  Next time you're having a dinner party and are at a loss for something different to impress your guests, just think SAUCE.

Sauces can be hot or cold; sweet or savoury; thin or thick depending on how they are being used.  

Today the name sauce is given to many preparations such as Bolognese sauce for pasta,  bottled tomato, chilli and brown sauces which should more properly be called condiments,   salsas (the Spanish word for sauce) and thin dipping sauces which would be better referred to as accompaniments.  On the other hand, the name isn't commonly applied to some items when, logically speaking, perhaps it should be, such as gravies, vinaigrettes and coulis.