Did You Know "B"

There are lots to choose from today, some common, and some not so common culinary terms and sauces that begin with B, for example, Bain-Marie, Baking Blind, Beaucaire, Bearnaise, Bechamel, Beurre-Blanc, Beurre-Marie and Braising, to name just a few.  

So, which one to choose? I decided I should write about all the above, but just briefly. Starting with Bain-Marie, as I've been asked so many times what this is.

A Bain-Marie is a tall, cylindrical shape pan with a handle near the top, which is designed to be set in a pan of hot water. Traditionally bain-marie pans are used in restaurants to keep sauces warm. The tinned-copper pans are best, but they're quite expensive.  The stainless steel bain-marie pans are hard to find, and the aluminum ones react with some of the sauces.

Did you know that the name bain-marie was considered to refer to the Virgin Mary, the symbol of gentleness, since the term implies the gentleness of this method of cooking.

Similar to a bain-marie, and a great substitute, is a double boiler, which is used for cooking individual sauces.  The double boiler is in 2 parts which slot one inside the other, the lower part contains the hot water. The water is kept at a gentle simmer and must not boil because that would cause the mixture to overheat and curdle, also condensation can form which will get into the mixture.

Baking Blind:
This is quite simply the term given to cooking a pastry case prior to adding the liquid filling.   The pastry case is lined with parchment paper and filled with baking beans to prevent the pastry from rising as it cooks.


Beaucaire:
The French name given to recipes including a mixed salad, soup and chitterlings (intestines) usually associated with Provencal cuisine.

Well Known Sauces:


Bearnaise:
A classic hot creamy French sauce made from egg yolks and reduced vinegar, whisked together over a low heat and mixed with butter. commonly served with broiled (grilled) meat or fish.
Did you know the association between the name of this sauce and the birthplace of Henry 1V probably came about because it was first made by Collinet in the 1830's in a restaurant in Saint-Germain-en-Laye called the Pavillion Henri 1V.

Bechamel:
A white sauce made by combining hot flavored or seasoned milk with a roux (explanation later under R)
This is a classic basic sauce, using milk flavored by heating it with a bay leaf, a slice of onion and some nutmeg, other ingredients such as carrot, celery, ham and even mushroom peelings may be added. The sauce is then left for about 30 minutes to infuse.  Did you know that Bechamel commonly refers to a white sauce with simple seasoning.
The Italian balsamella (sometimes infused with garlic, bay leaf and onion) is now a white sauce with nutmeg.
Bechamel is commonly used in Lasagne, and with egg, vegetable and gratin dishes.  It is often used as a base for other sauces.

Beurre Blanc:
This is another classic French sauce made with reduced vinegar and shallots to which butter is added, called white butter sauce in English. Beurre Blanc is commonly served with fish.
Did you know that a chef from Nantes called Clemence, while attempting to make a bearnaise sauce for the Marquis de Goulaine, forgot to add the eggs to the sauce.  The sauce was however a great success, and Clemence went on to open a restaurant at La Chebuette near Nantes, which is where Mere Michel learned the secret of the beurre blanc, before opening her famous restaurant in the Rue Rennequin in Paris.

Recipe for Beurre Blanc:


5 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/3 cups fish stock
1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
8oz very cold salted butter cut into small pieces

In a saucepan add the shallots, white wine vinegar, fish stock and ground black pepper; reduce by two-thirds.
Remove the pan from the heat, and add all but one piece of the butter at once and whisk until smooth.  Finally add the last piece of butter stirring into the mix gently (not to make a froth).
Season with salt and pepper and pour the sauce into a bain-marie to keep warm until needed.  the sauce can be stabilized by adding 1 tbsp of double cream.
Recipe for Beurre Blanc taken from: Larousse Gastronomique Culinary Encyclopedia. 

Enjoy :o)

Beurre Marie:
A mixture of butter and flour used as a thickner for soups, stews, sauces and other liquors towards the end of cooking.

Braising:
A moist cooking method using a little liquid that barely simmers at a low temperature on top of the stove or in the oven.

Information in this post taken from:  
SAUCES by James Peterson,  
and LAROUSSE GASTRONOMIQUE, Culinary encyclopedia.