The Five Mother Sauces Every Cook Should Know

In the 19th century, Marie-Antoine Carême anointed Béchamel, Velouté, Espagnole, and tomato sauce as the building blocks for all other sauces in his work L'Art de la Cuisine Française au Dix-Neuvième Siecle. Later on, Hollandaise got added to the family. Since then, many people consider others sauces -- sweet and savory from all around the world -- as unofficial extended relatives of these five sauces.

Though some will argue for the importance of chimichurri and chocolate sauce, it's a knowledge of the five French mother sauces that will prove essential. They may seem intimidating, but mother sauces will nurture your kitchen confidence. With a few simple ingredients (mostly flour, butter, and a liquid) and a couple easy techniques, these five sauces, all equally important to your cooking repertoire, serve as the starting point for a slew of other classics.

Check out the slideshow above for what you need to know about the building blocks of sauces.

This article originally appeared on Food52.com: The Five Mother Sauces Every Cook Should Know.

5 Dishes with Soy Sauce Marinades
How to Make Real Caramel Sauce at Home
How to Make Enchilada Sauce at Home