VEGETABLE PUREES & SAUCES

THESE MODERN SAUCES DERIVE THEIR TEXTURE and flavor from vegetables or from fruits used in savory cooking, such as tomatoes. Classic sauces rely on fat (in the form of butter, eggs, cream) or flour for body. In recent years, chefs have turned to "meaty" vegetables such as carrots and red bell peppers to create texture. The resulting sauces are packed with flavor and generally low in fat.

When pureeing ingredients to make a sauce, we find that the blender creates a smoother texture, although a food processor can also be used. Some sauces in this chapter are not pureed; rather, they are "chunky," with most of the liquid cooked off so the sauce is not too runny. Recipes in this chapter yield enough sauce for four to six generous servings.