considered as carriers of flavor, sauces form a broad spectrum At one end are simple mixtures that provide a pleasing contrast to the food itself, or add a flavor that it lacks Melted butter offers a subtle richness, vinaigrette salad dressings and mayonnaise a tart richness, salsas tartness and pungency At the other end of the spectrum are complex flavor mixtures that fill the mouth and nose with sensations, and provide a rich background into which the flavor of the food itself blends Among these are the meat-based sauces of the French tradition, whose complexity comes largely from the extraction and concentration of savory amino acids and other taste molecules, and from the generation of meaty aromas by way of the browning reactions between amino acids and sugars (p 778) Chinese braising liquids based on soy sauce are similarly complex thanks to the cooking and fermentation of the soybeans (p 496), while the spice blends of India and Thailand and the moles of Mexico typically combine a half dozen or more strongly aromatic and pungent ingredients Improving Sauce Flavor Perhaps the most common problem with sauce flavor is that there doesn’t seem to be enough of it, or that “there’s something missing” in it Perfecting the flavor of any dish is an art that depends on the perceptiveness and skill of the cook, but there are two basic principles that can help anyone analyze and improve a sauce’s flavor Sauces are an accompaniment to a primary food, are eaten in small amounts compared to the primary food, and therefore need to have a concentrated flavor A spoonful of sauce alone should taste too strong, so that a little sauce on a piece of meat or pasta will taste just right Thickening agents tend to reduce the flavor of a sauce (p 596), so it’s important to check and adjust the flavor ... there doesn’t seem to be enough of it, or that “there’s something missing” in it Perfecting the flavor of any dish is an art that depends on the perceptiveness and skill of the cook, but there are two basic...Thailand and the moles of Mexico typically combine a half dozen or more strongly aromatic and pungent ingredients Improving Sauce Flavor Perhaps the most common problem with sauce flavor is that there doesn’t seem to be enough of it, or that... flavor A spoonful of sauce alone should taste too strong, so that a little sauce on a piece of meat or pasta will taste just right Thickening agents tend to reduce the flavor of a sauce (p 596), so it’s