Some instructors might be wimps, but Hannibal was not one of them. He rather enjoyed this weather; it gave him a chance to wear his warm clothing.
He would hear no slander against his hat!
He nodded and waved his students over to his counter at the front.
"We'll be discussing a number of sauces and techniques later in the semester, and you will need to know some techniques before we begin on them. The first is called a roux. A roux is flour and salt cooked together; it can be used as a base for some recipes, and some of the techniques it uses will help with others, such as gravy or gelatin."
"Our roux starts with clarified butter." He put a square block of butter into a small pot and began heating it. "Standard butter consists of butterfat, milk solids, and water.
Clarifying it removes the water and milk solids. Clarified butter can get much hotter without burning, which makes it very good for frying." He demonstrated how to skim the butter as it cooked, leaving only the part they wanted.
"Once we have our clarified butter, we can start on the rest of the
roux. A good roux is essential to many sauces. It helps to thicken them and adds some flavor. It's important not to burn it, and to make sure that the fat and the flour mix evenly." He showed how to finish making it.
"After that, the next challenge you face with any sauce, particularly as a beginner, is avoiding lumps. You must add the liquids slowly, and it helps if they're cold. If you add them too quickly, or too much at once, it won't be pretty."
After he'd demonstrated the proper technique, he nodded to them. "Today we'll be making a béchamel sauce, and you'll be clarifying your own butter and making the roux. Please let me know if you have any questions."
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