{"id":876,"date":"2026-09-21T21:08:52","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T21:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/?p=876"},"modified":"2026-09-21T21:15:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T21:15:46","slug":"the-five-mother-sauces-because-leftovers-deserve-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/?p=876","title":{"rendered":"The Five Mother Sauces: Because Leftovers Deserve Better"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are five sauces every chef learns about eventually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>B\u00e9chamel. Velout\u00e9. Espagnole. Tomato. Hollandaise.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They\u2019re called the <em>mother sauces<\/em> because they\u2019re the starting point for a whole family of other sauces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which sounds very fancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But here\u2019s what I actually like about them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>They can make leftovers taste like you planned dinner.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that is a hell of a useful skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because I don&#8217;t know about you, but there are days when I open the refrigerator and find half a chicken breast, three roasted potatoes, some vegetables nobody ate, and a container of rice that has been sitting there looking increasingly suspicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I could eat it all exactly as it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or I could make a sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And suddenly I&#8217;m not eating leftovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I&#8217;m having <strong>chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce and roasted potatoes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See the difference?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Same damn food. Better attitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">First: What the Hell Is a Mother Sauce?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A mother sauce is basically a foundational sauce that can be changed, flavoured, and built into a bunch of other sauces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Think of it as the <strong>starting point<\/strong>, not the finished product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that&#8217;s exactly why they&#8217;re so useful at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don&#8217;t need to make a complicated restaurant sauce every time you cook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You need to understand what the sauce is <em>doing<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is it creamy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rich?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tomato-based?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brown and deeply savoury?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bright and buttery?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you understand that, leftovers become a lot less boring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s get into them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. B\u00e9chamel<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The creamy one.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">B\u00e9chamel is a simple white sauce made from <strong>butter, flour and milk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Butter + flour makes a roux. Milk gets whisked in. It cooks until thick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s one of those sauces that looks almost insultingly simple when you know how to make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And yet it can turn a pile of leftovers into something that feels like actual food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leftover rescue:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Chicken + vegetables + b\u00e9chamel = chicken pot pie territory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don&#8217;t even need to make a pie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Put leftover chicken and vegetables in a baking dish. Make a slightly thick b\u00e9chamel. Add some cheese if you want. Pour it over the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Add leftover potatoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bake until bubbling and browned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Congratulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You just made dinner out of refrigerator archaeology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other things to do with b\u00e9chamel:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Leftover pasta \u2192 creamy baked pasta<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ham \u2192 ham and cheese sauce<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Broccoli \u2192 broccoli cheese bake<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cooked vegetables \u2192 vegetable gratin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chicken + peas \u2192 quick creamy skillet dinner<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Potatoes \u2192 cheesy potato casserole<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you turn that b\u00e9chamel into <strong>Mornay sauce<\/strong> with cheese?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now we&#8217;re having a conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Velout\u00e9<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The elegant cousin of gravy.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Velout\u00e9 starts with a roux too, but instead of milk, you use <strong>stock<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chicken stock makes chicken velout\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fish stock makes fish velout\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result is lighter and more savoury than b\u00e9chamel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is one of my favourite concepts for leftovers because <strong>stock already tastes like food.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You&#8217;re not covering everything up with cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You&#8217;re adding another layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leftover rescue:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Leftover chicken + chicken velout\u00e9 + mushrooms = suddenly respectable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saut\u00e9 some mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Add your leftover chicken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make a velout\u00e9 with chicken stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Add a little cream, mustard, herbs, lemon juice, or whatever makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pour it over rice, potatoes, noodles or toast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And there you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Velout\u00e9 is brilliant with:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>leftover chicken<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>turkey<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>pork<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>fish<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mushrooms<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>rice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>potatoes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>cooked vegetables<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And here&#8217;s another chef trick:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Don&#8217;t make your sauce taste exactly like the thing underneath it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your leftovers are rich, make the sauce brighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If they&#8217;re bland, give the sauce some punch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lemon. Mustard. Herbs. Garlic. Wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s how you stop leftovers from tasting like leftovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Espagnole<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The dark, serious one.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Espagnole is the mother sauce behind a lot of those deep, brown, intensely savoury sauces associated with classic French cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It starts with a <strong>brown roux, brown stock, tomatoes and aromatics<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s rich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s not fucking around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At home, though, I&#8217;m not going to tell you to spend six hours making a traditional espagnole sauce every time you&#8217;ve got leftover beef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s ridiculous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, understand the <strong>idea behind it<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Brown + stock + aromatics + reduction = flavour.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s the bit worth stealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leftover rescue:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Got leftover roast beef?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Make a quick pan sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saut\u00e9 some onions or shallots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Add a splash of wine if you&#8217;ve got it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Add beef stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let it reduce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throw in a little Dijon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finish with butter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now put that leftover beef on mashed potatoes and pour the sauce over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s not sad leftovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s <strong>Sunday dinner pretending it didn&#8217;t happen yesterday.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Great with:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>roast beef<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>steak<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>pork<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mushrooms<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>roasted vegetables<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>mashed potatoes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>meatloaf<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you&#8217;ve got good gravy left from a roast?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Don&#8217;t throw that shit away.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gravy is basically liquid gold when you&#8217;re trying to revive leftovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Tomato Sauce<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The one most of us already know.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tomato sauce is the most familiar of the mother sauces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tomatoes, aromatics, seasoning and usually some kind of fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And unlike some of the others, you probably don&#8217;t need a culinary education to know what to do with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there&#8217;s a trick here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Tomato sauce doesn&#8217;t have to mean pasta.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s where things get interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leftover rescue:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Got leftover meatballs?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tomato sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leftover chicken?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tomato sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roasted vegetables?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tomato sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leftover sausage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oh, absolutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Put the sausage into tomato sauce with some peppers and onions and you&#8217;ve got dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throw leftover cooked vegetables into tomato sauce, add beans and cheese, crack a couple of eggs into it and cover the pan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now you&#8217;ve wandered into shakshuka territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And nobody needs to know that half the ingredients were already cooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tomato sauce is particularly good at rescuing:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>leftover chicken<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>sausage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>meatballs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>cooked vegetables<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>beans<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>rice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>pasta<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>roasted peppers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>eggplant<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>zucchini<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if the sauce tastes flat?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Don&#8217;t automatically add more salt.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Try a little acid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A splash of vinegar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A squeeze of lemon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe some Parmesan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe a tiny bit of sugar if the tomatoes are harsh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adjust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Hollandaise<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The dangerous little diva.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hollandaise is egg yolks, butter and acid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is rich, silky, buttery and absolutely capable of making you feel like you should be wearing a white jacket while you eat breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s also the mother sauce people tend to be scared of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don&#8217;t be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Respect it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There&#8217;s a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Leftover rescue:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This one is particularly good for <strong>vegetables, potatoes, eggs and seafood.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Got leftover roasted asparagus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hollandaise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leftover potatoes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crisp them in a pan, put a poached or fried egg on top and add hollandaise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leftover salmon?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hollandaise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">English muffin + leftover ham + egg + hollandaise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Congratulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You accidentally made Eggs Benedict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And honestly, I have no idea why people think leftovers are supposed to be eaten cold out of a plastic container when we could be doing <em>this.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Real Secret: You Don&#8217;t Need All Five in Your Refrigerator<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This isn&#8217;t about becoming the person who makes five mother sauces on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Please don&#8217;t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s how you end up standing in the kitchen at 6 p.m. surrounded by dirty pots wondering what the hell happened to your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The point is to understand <strong>what each sauce can do for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Mother Sauce<\/th><th>What It Brings<\/th><th>Leftovers It Loves<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>B\u00e9chamel<\/strong><\/td><td>Creamy, rich, comforting<\/td><td>Chicken, vegetables, ham, pasta, potatoes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Velout\u00e9<\/strong><\/td><td>Savoury, silky, lighter<\/td><td>Chicken, turkey, fish, mushrooms<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Espagnole<\/strong><\/td><td>Deep, dark, meaty<\/td><td>Beef, pork, mushrooms, potatoes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Tomato<\/strong><\/td><td>Bright, savoury, acidic<\/td><td>Chicken, sausage, vegetables, beans, pasta<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Hollandaise<\/strong><\/td><td>Rich, buttery, tangy<\/td><td>Eggs, potatoes, asparagus, fish, ham<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But here&#8217;s where the real chef thinking comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Don&#8217;t ask, &#8220;What can I make with these leftovers?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8220;What do these leftovers need?&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dry chicken?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It needs moisture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bland vegetables?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They need flavour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roast beef?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It might need a rich sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Potatoes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They&#8217;ll happily accept almost anything you throw at them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe it needs something bright and buttery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s the difference between following a recipe and actually cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Leftover Sauce Formula<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s the little formula I use when the refrigerator is looking bleak:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Find the leftover.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chicken. Beef. Vegetables. Potatoes. Rice. Whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Decide what it lacks.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moisture?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fat?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Acid?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Salt?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Umami?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Texture?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Pick your sauce accordingly.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Creamy \u2192 B\u00e9chamel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Savoury and lighter \u2192 Velout\u00e9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dark and rich \u2192 Espagnole-style sauce<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bright and tomatoey \u2192 Tomato<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Buttery and tangy \u2192 Hollandaise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Add something fresh.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A sauce can rescue leftovers, but something fresh makes them feel like a new meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fresh herbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lemon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crispy onions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A handful of greens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grated cheese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pickled anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even a fried egg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Texture matters.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If everything on the plate is soft, your mouth gets bored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Give it something crunchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If everything is rich, give it acid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If everything is bland, stop being polite and season the damn thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And That&#8217;s the Whole Point<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mother sauces aren&#8217;t really about memorizing five recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They&#8217;re about learning how to <strong>change the personality of food.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s a very different skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A leftover chicken breast can be dry, boring and depressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or it can become chicken with mushroom velout\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yesterday&#8217;s roast beef can become today&#8217;s steak sandwich with a sharp pan sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yesterday&#8217;s potatoes can become crispy potatoes with a fried egg and hollandaise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those sad vegetables hiding behind the milk?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can become a gratin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the container of rice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, that&#8217;s got possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best cooks I&#8217;ve known weren&#8217;t the people who had the most expensive ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were the people who could look at almost anything and say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>&#8220;Yeah. I can do something with that.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That&#8217;s the skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And once you have it, your leftovers stop being leftovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They&#8217;re just <strong>ingredients that have already done some of the work.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which, frankly, is pretty fucking useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/?download=chef-tricks-guide\">Get my Chef&#8217;s Tricks guide<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are five sauces every chef learns about eventually. B\u00e9chamel. Velout\u00e9. Espagnole. Tomato. Hollandaise. They\u2019re called the mother sauces because they\u2019re the starting point for a whole family of other sauces. Which sounds very fancy. But here\u2019s what I actually like about them: They can make leftovers taste like you planned dinner. And that is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":877,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kitchen-survival"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":7}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/site-benny-scaled.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"burntb_Admin","author_link":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/?author=1"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=876"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/876\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":882,"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/876\/revisions\/882"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/burntbutter.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}