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Fancy Sauces Made Simple

Many cooks are intimidated by complex sauces with fancy names. Béarnaise, Marinara, Béchamel, Picatta...they all sound complicated, but they're not! These sauces combine simple ingredients with a little bit of patience and a hot pan to produce tasty results right in your own kitchen.

Béarnaise -- A Butter-Wine Sauce

Béarnaise is a butter-wine sauce thickened with egg yolks and flavored with tarragon and shallots. This creamy sauce is normally served alongside steak, but is also wonderful over other meats and dark green vegetables like asparagus.

Recipe: Béarnaise Sauce

(adapted from Tyler Florence, Food Network)

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • Salt and pepper

In a small saucepan combine the tarragon, shallots, vinegar and wine over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.


Pour the warm wine mixture into a blender and add the egg yolks, blending at low speed. As the blender runs, add 1/3 of the melted butter in a slow steady stream. Once the mixture begins to thicken, turn the speed to high and slowly add the remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm for serving.

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There are two important things to remember when preparing Béarnaise sauce. First, make sure the wine mixture is cooled enough before adding the egg yolks. If the wine is too hot it will cause the eggs to cook, resulting in a chunky sauce. Second, the butter must be added very slowly to avoid separation of the butter and egg mixture. The blender will help, but slow and steady pouring is key to a smooth, even sauce.

Marinara -- A Hearty Tomato Sauce

There are many types of sauces to top pasta with, but the classic marinara is one of the most popular choices both in Italy and across the globe. Just like curry in Asia, and country gravy in the southern U.S., every family seems to have "the best recipe" for this timeless sauce. You don't need a long lineage of sauce connoisseurs to make this fantastic staple of Italian cooking, just some tomatoes, herbs and a pot!

Simple Marinara Sauce

  • 2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
  • Salt & pepper
  • Olive oil


Using a large pot, coat the bottom with olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent and soft, being careful to stir often and to not let the garlic burn. Add the cans of crushed tomatoes and stir in the basil, salt and pepper to taste.

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Allow the sauce to cook on low heat covered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking and burning. Marinara sauce can simmer for up to 6 hours and is wonderful for keeping warm on buffets for dipping. It typically improves in taste over several days as the basil and garlic continue to flavor the tomatoes. Marinara can also be frozen and reheated easily, especially if stored in portioned containers.

Béchamel -- A Creamy Milk Sauce

Béchamel is known as one of the "mother sauces" of French cooking. The name comes from Louis Bechamiel, the marquis of Nointel who worked for King Louis XIV. Many other sauces can be made by adjusting the basic Béchamel recipe.


Basic Béchamel Sauce

(recipe adapted from Easy French Food)

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper

{relatedarticles}Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and mix well. The flour should soak up the butter and turn golden brown as it cooks. Stir continuously over low heat for 2 minutes to cook the butter-flour mixture.

Using a metal whisk, slowly add the milk in small quantities (about 2 tablespoons at a time), whisking constantly to break down the clumps of flour. Constant stirring and slow liquid addition is key here to achieve a smooth sauce.

After you've added about half the milk and the mixture in the saucepan is relatively smooth, you can pour the remaining 1/2 cup into the pan and whisk to fully incorporate. Continue to heat the sauce on low to medium heat, stirring often to avoid burning. Cook just below boiling until the mixture thickens.

Once you have a thick sauce, remove from heat and add the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Béchamel sauce is not only a staple of French sauces, but is also a common sauce found in many Italian lasagna recipes, and a traditional top layer of the Greek dish moussaka.


Piccata -- A White Wine Lemon Sauce

Whether it's served over chicken, pork, veal, or even fish, piccata is a smooth, tangy sauce that can make a delicious one-pan dinner. There are many variations depending on the wine and your personal tastes, but one of the most common versions is the chicken picatta.

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Piccata Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc is a good choice)
  • 1/4 cup onion, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons capers, drained
  • Salt & pepper
  • Fresh parsley, chopped

In a large uncoated skillet with high edges melt the butter in the olive oil over medium heat. When the butter is completely melted, sprinkle the flour evenly into the pan and stir to soak up the liquid. Continue to cook the flour for about 2 minutes, being careful not to let it burn.


Add the wine to deglaze the pan, using your spoon to scrape the bottom and remove any stuck flour (the wine will help loosen it). Add the onion and garlic, sautéing for 2 minutes until onions are soft. Switch to a whisk and add the chicken broth, lemon juice, capers, salt and pepper to taste.

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If you are cooking this sauce with a meat, the best process is to pan-fry the meat in the olive oil and butter first, remove from the pan and finish the sauce. Then once you've added the broth and remaining ingredients, return the meat to the pan and coat it with the sauce. You can turn down the heat and allow the meat to simmer or even finish cooking in the sauce for extra flavor. Garnish with fresh parsley and you've got a full one-skillet meal!