sauces and marinades
alfredo a pasta sauce made of cream, butter, parmesan cheese, and sometimes garlic.
allemande a marinade made from onions, peppers, vinegar, and seasonings, used on fish and chicken.
bearnaise a creamy sauce made with egg yolks, butter, shallots, wine, vinegar, and spices, used on meat and fish.
bechamel a white sauce made with cream and thickened with a roux, used to enrich other sauces.
Bercy a white sauce made from creamed butter, fish stock, white wine, shallots, and parsley.
bordelaise a brown sauce made with meat stock, onions, red wine, flour, and seasonings, used on meat.
brown sauce any sauce made from meat stock and flour browned in butter or fat.
carbonara a pasta sauce made from eggs, parmesan cheese, and cured pork belly.
charmoula a Middle Eastern sauce made from stewed onions, honey, and vinegar and seasoned with a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, pepper, cumin, and paprika, used on meat and fish.
chasseur sauce a sauce made from mushrooms, white wine, and butter.
chutney an East Indian relish made from various fruits, sugar, spices, and vinegar or lemon juice.
cornstarch a starch made from corn, used to thicken sauces. Also known as corn flour.
coulis a puree of vegetables or fruit, used as a sauce in soups and sometimes simply to enhance other sauces.
Cumberland sauce an English sauce made from currant jelly, wine, and orange and lemon juice, used on ham and game.
duck sauce used in Chinese food, a thick sweet- and-sour sauce made from apricots, plums, sugar, and seasonings.
escabeche a marinade made from peppers, onions, vinegar and spices, used on fish or chicken.
espagnole a thickened veal stock simmered with a mix of seasonings, such as a bouquet garni, and wine.
hoisin sauce used in Chinese food, a dark and spicy sauce, similar to barbecue sauce, and made from fermented rice, soy, vinegar, sugar, and chili.
hollandaise a creamy sauce made from butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice.
hot sauce any type of spicy, mildly hot, or extremely hot sauce, with hot peppers or chilies as the main ingredient.
jus a sauce made from natural meat juices or gravy.
mayonnaise a creamy salad or sandwich dressing made from eggs, olive oil, seasonings, and lemon juice or vinegar.
miso fermented soy bean paste, used in Japanese soups and sauces.
mole any one of several thick Mexican sauces made from chilies, nuts, seeds, tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and chocolate, used on meat or poultry.
Mornay a rich white sauce made from egg yolks and various cheeses, used on fish and vegetables.
mount to carefully whisk and blend chunks of cold butter into a sauce.
mousseline a hollandaise sauce enriched with egg whites or whipped cream.
nantua a white sauce made from crayfish, butter, cream, and truffles.
Newburg a rich sauce made from butter, cream, egg yolks, and sherry.
nuoc-mam a Vietnamese fish sauce made from fermented fish or shrimp.
oyster sauce a sweet and salty Chinese dipping sauce flavored with oysters, cornstarch, clam juice, garlic, onion, ginger root, soy sauce, and sugar.
pesto an Italian pasta sauce made from Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, basil, and ground pine nuts.
pistou a pestolike sauce made from olive oil, garlic, basil, and Parmesan cheese.
puttanesca pasta sauce made from tomatoes, anchovies, onions, black olives, capers, and chilies.
ravigote a sauce made from oil and vinegar, onions, capers, parsley, and tarragon, used on meats and fish. Also a veloute with white wine, vinegar, butter, cream, and mushrooms.
red-eye gravy a gravy made from ham and flour fried in coffee and water.
remoulade a French sauce made from mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, capers, anchovies, and herbs, and served cold with meat or seafood. Also used as a salad dressing.
rouille a thick, creamy sauce made from hot peppers, olive oil, and garlic.
roux a mixture of flour and butter or other fat, used to thicken sauces and stews.
salsa a hot sauce made from tomatoes and chilies.
shoyu a Japanese soy sauce that is sweeter and less salty than Chinese soy sauce.
soy sauce a dark and salty Asian sauce made from fermented soy beans.
sweet-and-sour sauce an Asian sauce made from vinegar, sugar, ketchup, peanut oil, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch.
Tabasco a very hot and spicy sauce made from vinegar, red peppers, and salt.
tapenade a spread of sauce made from black olives, anchovies, capers, olive oil, and spices, used on grilled meat or fish.
tartar sauce a sauce made of mayonnaise and chopped pickles and sometimes with onions and olives, for use on fish.
tzatziki sauce a sauce made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice, used on calamari.
veloute a white sauce made from stock, cream, butter, and flour.
Welsh rabbit a cheese sauce flavored with ale, dry mustard, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, usually served over toast, sometimes with bacon.
white sauce a roux blended with milk, cream or stock, with seasonings.
Worcestershire sauce a spicy sauce made from soy, vinegar, anchovies, tamarind, molasses, and cloves, used on meat and poultry.
soups, stews, and broths
alphabet soup a soup in which small pieces of pasta are cut into the shape of letters of the alphabet.
billy bi a French soup made with mussels, cream, onions, and seasonings.
bird's nest soup a very expensive Chinese soup made from the nest of a small Asian bird.
bisque a thick and creamy soup of shellfish, with the shells, cream and sometimes, Cognac. This soup is also made with rabbit or fowl. Sometimes also, a creamy vegetable soup.
blanquette a veal or chicken stew with onions and mushrooms and enriched with cream.
borscht an eastern European soup of beets or cabbage, along with potatoes, beans, meat, or sausage. The most popular beet version is served cold with sour cream.
bouillabaisse a rich stew comprised of fish, lobster, or shrimp, with vegetables and a broth made from white wine, olive oil, garlic, saffron, fennel, and orange peel.
bouillon a clear broth made from cooking beef, chicken, fish, or vegetables in water.
bourride a French stew with poached fish, onions, and a broth thickened with mayonnaise and seasoned with crushed garlic.
broth a liquid flavored with meat or vegetable stock and seasonings.
brown stock brownish liquid derived from water and browned bones and meat with vegetables and seasonings.
Brunswick stew a stew of the American South, originally made from rabbit or squirrel, but today from chicken, corn, onions, tomatoes, and okra.
burgoo originally a thick stew of the American South, made from rabbit or squirrel, but today made from a combination of pork, veal, lamb, beef, or poultry, with a wide array of vegetables, which may include potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, corn, okra, lima beans, and others.