At the heart of French cooking are the “Mother Sauces”; a series of fundamental culinary building blocks upon which countless variations and dishes are based. In this fun, hands-on workshop, French Chef Chantal Vechambre will introduce the key techniques behind several of these versatile sauces, an invaluable foundation for anyone interested in exploring true French cuisine.

Starting by learning how to make roux, the essential base of the white Mother Sauces, she will cover dairy-based sauces like Béchamel and Mornay, as well as the stock-based Velouté and variants such as Soubise & Poulette. They will be used to accompany some simply cooked local vegetables and to make simple, classic dishes like Talmouse en Tricorne, small puff pastry tartlettes with a creamy Mornay filling, for snacking on in class. There will be plenty of discussion of how these versatile sauces can be used and modified in scores of different ways from lasagna to croque monsieur.

The class will also cover how to make quick and easy cold sauces, such as mayonnaise, ailoli and tartare, which will be served with some fresh fish and crudités. As a bonus, you will learn how to make a quick Court Bouillon, the classic stock for poaching fish.

$60 +HST

—–
Chantal Vechambre, a French national and trained chef, spent 6 years in Atlantic Canada, in part researching her award-winning book French Taste in Atlantic Canada, A gastronomic history 1604-1758, about the ingredients, adventures and history of the Acadian people who lived at the Fortress of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia.
http://www.chantalvechambre.com

—–
Every week, The Depanneur invites TO’s best culinary talents to lead fun, hands-on workshops.

Find out more about Workshops at The Depanneur