The Five Mother Sauces

Bechamel - white roux with milk, base for many sauces; served with eggs, fish, and poultry

Tomat - tomato, pork fat, and sometimes a roux; served with pasta, fish, poultry, and dumplings

Veloute - white roux with light stock; served with eggs, fish, poultry, vegetables, and pasta

Espagnole - brown roux wih meat stock; served with roasted meats

Hollandaise - egg yolk, lemon, clarified butter; served with eggs, vegetables, fish, and light meats
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Roux: mixture of flour and fat used to thicken sauces
White Roux - butter and flour
Brown Roux - butter and flour, cooked longer; sometimes animal fats replace butter