interest and enhancement.

A good sauce should complement the flavour of food, provide contrast and make perfection complete. It should never overpower or be a cover-up -- which would be insulting to the sauce, the food it accompanies and the cook.

Indeed, a sauce should be a crowning and glorious achievement. Many of the world's top chefs and restaurants have established their reputations on the excellence of their sauces.

Despite their deceptively simple appearance, sauces can be one of the quirkiest items to make. Unpredictable and fickle, even simple sauces can suddenly go wrong by curdling, separating into pools of oil and water, thickening into lumps or not thickening at all.

Because of their tricky physical and chemical makeup, there is no infallible key to good sauce making. A combination of ingredient quality, the way in which they are heated or blended and the action of the cooks's arm influences success.

Therefore, experience (good or bad) is the best teacher.

There are literally hundreds of sauces in the culinary repertoire. Since it is impossible to cover them all, this article will focus on starch-and egg-based sauces.

Renowned French chef Escoffier decreed that sauces should have: a "decided'' taste; a smooth, light texture without being runny; and a glossy appearance.

Three leading sauces are thickened with flour: brown (espagnole), white (veloute) and bechamel. Each relies on a specific combination of roux (flour and butter) and liquid.

Roux is comprised of roughly equal amounts of butter and flour, which are gently heated in a pan and stirred until the flour loses its raw aroma and the desired colour has been reached. The more flour is browned, the less its ability to thicken, which is why more dark brown roux is required than pale.

Brown sauce consists of a stock made from browned vegetables, meat and bones, thickened with roux that is cooked until the flour browns.

White sauce uses a stock made from unbrowned meat, vegetables and bones, and is bound with a pale yellow roux.

Bechamel combines milk with a roux whose colour is not allowed to change.

From these "parent'' sauces, scores of others are created simply by varying the seasonings. The following are some examples from the French family of sauces: From Brown (Espagnole) Sauce: Bordelaise (from Bordeaux): red wine, shallots Diable (devil): white wine, shallots, cayenne Lyonnaise (from Lyon): white wine, onion Madeira : Madeira wine Perigueux (village in Perigord): Madeira, veal stock, truffles Piquante : white wine, vinegar, gherkins, capers Poivrade (peppered): vinegar, peppercorns Red wine sauces : red wine (reduced) Robert : white wine, onion, mustard Veloute (velvety): white stock, yellow roux White Bordelaise white wine, shallots Ravigote (invigorated): white wine, vinegar Supreme : poultry stock, cream Bechamel (a gourmand): milk, white roux Creme : cream Mornay : cheese, fish or poultry stock Soubise: onion puree Hollandaise : butter, eggs, lemon juice or vinegar Mousseline (light cloth): whipped cream Bearnaise : white wine, vinegar, shallots, tarragon Mayonnaise : (vegetable oil, eggs, vinegar or lemon juice Remoulade (twice ground): gherkins, capers, mustard, anchovy paste One of Louis XIV's courtiers, Bechameil, gave his name to the basic white sauce Bechamel, while two variants, Soubise and Mornay, honour a French army commander and a Huguenot family, respectively. Hollandaise is so-called because it was developed by Huguenots exiled in Holland. Mayonnaise is thought to derive from a Minorcan port, Mahon, which was captured from the English by the Duc de Richelieu in 1756.

A classic flour-based sauce begins by with the creation of stock by browning meat, bones and vegetables, adding water and simmering for a long time. After this, the liquid is put through a strainer to remove the solid remains of meat and vegetables.

This is then combined with a roux, and the sauce may be "finished'' with seasonings, butter or egg yolk.

A flour-based sauce can be fine-tuned in two ways: If it is too thick, dilute it carefully with a little liquid; if too thin, add more starch. The latter can be tricky, so use one of these techniques: When dry starch is added to hot liquid it becomes lumpy. To avoid this, first mix the flour separately with cold water, a few drops at a time and stir into a liquid consistency. Or, use beurre manie (kneaded butter) -- an uncooked version of a roux whereby flour and soft butter are kneaded together in equal portions. Stir small pieces of the mixture into the sauce.

While most sauces are given body with starch or a mixture of starch and gelatin, a few are thickened with fats -- either butter or some kind of vegetable oil. These are known as emulsified sauces . Mayonnaise, hollandaise and bearnaise are examples.

An emulsion is where one liquid is dispersed in the form of fine droplets throughout another liquid with which it cannot evenly mix. The most common are those made of water and oil. Mayonnaise, cream and milk are fat-water emulsions.

Emulsions require energy, and sometimes ingenuity, for their formation. They are fickle concoctions which can easily separate if ingredients are added in the wrong order, too hastily, or are over-mixed or over-heated. High and low temperatures can also create failures.

There are, however, many different substances which can be used to stabilise emulsions and prevent them from separating. Known as emulsifiers, these include egg yolks; certain proteins, plant resins and gums; fine particles, such as ground mustard, and carbohydrate molecules, such as starch. While the method of making three prinicpal emulsified sauces (hollandaise, mayonnaise, bearnaise) and their relatives is generally the same, mayonnaise differs because its ingredients must be at room temperature or slightly cooler, while the others are "cooked''. This is because hollandaise and bearnaise are made with butter, which is solid at room temperature, so ingredients must be heated to emulsify. Since vegetable oil is already liquid, there is no need to heat it to make mayonnaise.

In making emulsified sauces, the mixing order is always the same. First the egg yolks, vinegar or lemon juice and seasonings are thoroughly combined. Then the oil is slowly dribbled in, little by little, with continuous and vigorous beating. (Note: blender mayonnaise is made with whole eggs).

Because of the elevated temperature necessary to keep butterfat liquid, hollandaise and bearnaise sauces are trickier to make.

Standard precautions against failure include heating the yolk-water mixture very slowly and carefully, and adding the melted butter in small portions. (A double boiler can help). To thin a sauce slightly, do it before the oil is added, using enamelled, stainless steel or coated pans.

If mayonnaise or a butter-based sauce breaks down, don't panic. Put a little of the sauce, including some of the yolk-and-vinegar phase, into a bowl with a little fresh yolk or water (and in the case of mayonnaise, some ground mustard). Beat until they resemble the initial emulsion, then dribble in the remaining sauce, beating continuously.

A good sauce is like fine wine -- a perfect complement to food and a joy to savour.

You don't have to be a genius to make a good sauce, but you do have to be patient. When cooking: Stir and simmer and simmer and stir -- and never stop watching.

Some sauces have well-defined places in cuisine, while others are equally at home on a number of dishes. Here's a sampling: BROWN SAUCE 2 slices onion 1 cup butter 1 cup flour 2 cups beef broth or consomme 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper SAUTE onion slices in butter until lightly browned. Remove onion. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly until well browned. Gradually stir in beef broth or consomme and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Use as a base for other sauces. Yield: about 2 cups.

BECHAMEL SAUCE (White Roux) 1 cup unsalted butter 1 1 cups sifted all-purpose flour Bechamel Sauce 1 cup white roux 4 cups milk 1 small onion 1 sprig of thyme Crushed pepper Dash of nutmeg Salt To make roux: MELT butter in a saucepan, add flour while stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook over very low heat until golden.

To make sauce: TO prevent lumps, use a whisk to stir the boiling milk gradually into the roux. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add finely chopped onion, thyme, pepper, nutmeg and salt. Cook for about an hour over very low heat, stirring from time to time. Strain through a fine sieve and spread a layer of melted butter over the surface of the sauce. -- A Taste of Bermuda.

BEARNAISE SAUCE 2 shallots, chopped fine 2 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon OR 1 tsp. dried 1 tsp. cracked pepper 1 cup white wine vinegar 5 egg yolks 2 tbsp. water 1 cup butter, melted and skimmed 1 tbsp. minced parsley Few drops lemon juice 1 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. salt COOK shallots, half the tarragon and cracked pepper in a saucepan with the vinegar until most of the vinegar is cooked away. Beat egg yolks with water.

Stir into the vinegar mixture and heat in double boiler over simmering water, beating constantly with a wire whisk or perforated spoon, until creamy and thickened. Cool slightly. Add skimmed melted butter slowly, beating continuously. Strain the sauce. Add parsley, the rest of the tarragon and lemon juice. Season to taste with pepper and salt. This is a creamy, delicious bearnaise for fish, broiled meats and variety meats. Yield: 2 cups, eight to ten servings.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE 3 egg yolks 1-2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice Pinch salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted White pepper to taste WHISK egg yolks and 1 tbsp. lemon juice together in a heavy, small saucepan or the top of a double boiler. Add salt, whisk until thick and creamy. Place pan over very low heat or over simmering water in double boiler (don't let water touch bottom of top pan) until egg mixture just begins to thicken. Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter in drizzles, leaving milky sediment in the bottom of the pan. Whisk in pepper and lemon juice to taste. Sauce will keep covered in a warm (not hot) place for at least 30 minutes. Yield: about 11 cups.

RAVIGOTE SAUCE 1 cup veloute sauce (see separate recipe) 1 tbsp. minced shallot or onion 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. tarragon 1 tsp. chervil 2 egg yolks 2 tbsp. cream PUT veloute sauce in a double boiler. Add shallot or onion, lemon juice, tarragon and chervil. Beat egg yolks and cream together. Add to sauce, cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. If sauce is to be used for fish, use the veloute made with fish stock. This sauce will glamourise leftover chicken or meat. It is traditionally served with crab meat and other shellfish.

Especially good with poached sweetbreads. Yield: About 11 cups, 8 servings.

SAUCE DIABLE 3 tbsp. salad oil 2 tbsp. butter 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 cup flour 2 cups soup stock or consomme 3 cup catsup 1 tsp. prepared mustard 11 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 11 tsp. salt 1 tsp. peppercorns 1 medium onion, chopped 1 cup evaporated milk COOK salad oil, butter and garlic together until golden brown. Blend in flour.

Add slowly, stirring constantly, soup stock or consomme. Remove from heat. Add catsup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, peppercorns and chopped onion.

Cook over direct heat until thick, stirring constantly. Transfer to double boiler and cook half an hour longer. Strain, add evaporated milk to lighten colour. This sauce may be made in advance and re-heated in double boiler. Good with kidneys, broiled chicken or broiled steak or chops. Yield: about 3 1 cups, 15-20 servings.

VELOUTE SAUCE 2 tbsp. butter 3 tbsp. flour 1 cup chicken broth OR fish stock 1 cup cream 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper MELT butter. Add flour and mix well. Gradually stir in chicken broth or fish stock. Bring to boiling point, cook until thickened. Stir in cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use chicken broth or fish stock depending on whether you serve it with chicken or fish. Yield: about 11 cups, 6 servings.

SAUCE FOR GRILLED FISH OR MEAT 1 glass white wine 2 tbsp. wine vinegar 3 shallots 1 tsp. crushed pepper 1 tsp. dry tarragon 1 tsp. chervil 2 tbsp. tomato puree 6 egg yolks 2 cups vegetable oil Dash of cayenne pepper SIMMER white wine, vinegar, chopped shallots, pepper, tarragon and chervil until mixture has been reduced to the consistency of marmalade. Strain through a fine sieve. Put strained liquid into a deep bowl and with a whisk add tomato puree and egg yolks. Gradually add oil while beating sauce continuously with a whisk. Keep bowl at room temperature. Correct seasoning and add a dash of cayenne before serving. -- eve. Sprinkle with chopped fennel.

Hint: Do not bring to a boil again -- heat over low flame. -- A Taste of Bermuda .

CAMBRIDGE SAUCE 6 egg yolks, hard boiled 4 anchovy fillets 1 tbsp. capers 1 tsp. chervil 1 tsp. dry tarragon 1 tsp. chives A Taste of Bermuda .

BERMUDA FENNEL OR DILL SAUCE 5 stalks Bermuda fennel OR 1 cup fresh dill 2 tbsp. butter 2 shallots 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup heavy cream 1 tsp. cornstarch (optional) 1 tbsp. lemon juice Salt and pepper WASH fennel and chop coarsely. In a frying pan melt 1 tbsp.of butter and saute finely chopped shallots over low heat 3 to 4 minutes until limp. Add fennel and saute over low heat. Add white wine and reduce sauce to the consistency of marmalade. Add fresh cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. If necessary, thicken sauce with 1 tsp. of cornstarch dissolved in a few teaspoons of water. Remove from heat and add the rest of the butter, beating vigorously with a whisk. Add lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce through a sieve. Sprinkle with chopped fennel.

Hint: Do not bring to a boil again -- heat over low flame. -- A Taste of Bermuda .

CAMBRIDGE SAUCE 6 egg yolks, hard boiled 4 anchovy fillets 1 tbsp. capers 1 tsp. chervil 1 tsp. dry tarragon 1 tsp. chives 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 tsp. vinegar 2 cup oil Dash of cayenne pepper 1 tsp. chopped parsley CRUSH together and finely hard boiled egg yolks, well-washed anchovy fillets, capers, chervil, tarragon and chives. Add mustard and vinegar. Add oil gradually in a fine stream, continuing to beat vigorously. Add a dash of cayenne and strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Before serving, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. (This sauce goes well with cold meats.) -- A Taste of Bermuda .

WATERCRESS SAUCE 1 lb. watercress 1 cup white wine Juice of 1 lemon 1 cup heavy cream Salt and pepper REMOVE stalks from watercress and blanch the leaves in well salted, boiling water. Refresh in cold water and drain. Puree leaves in a blender, adding white wine, lemon juice and lightly whipped cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Serve this sauce with cold or hot fish). -- A Taste of Bermuda .

MOUSSELINE SAUCE 3 egg yolks 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 cup butter 1 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup boiling water 3 cup cream, whipped BEAT egg yolks, salt and cayenne with a rotary beater for 1 minute. Melt butter, heat lemon juice. Beat steadily while adding butter, lemon juice and boiling water to egg yolks. When all are combined, transfer sauce to a double boiler. The boiling water must never come in contact with the top of the double boiler. Beat the mixture rapidly with a wire whisk, scraping the bottom and sides until the sauce is smooth and thick -- about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat a little longer. When cold, store in refrigerator and when thoroughly chilled, fold in the stiffly beaten cream. Very good for vegetables or fish. Yield: about 11 cups, eight servings.

MORNAY SAUCE 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp. grated Gruyere cheese 2 tbsp. cream 2 cups Bechamel sauce (see separate recipe) 2 egg yolks 2 tbsp. butter 1 tsp. salt Dash pepper ADD cheese and cream to Bechamel sauce. Cook until cheeses are melted. Stir a little of the sauce into the lightly beaten egg yolks. Add to the remaining sauce. Heat a few minutes, until thickened. Stir in butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with vegetables, fish, chicken and macaroni dishes. Will brown well in oven. Yield: about 21 cups, 10-12 servings.

POULETTE SAUCE 2 tsp. minced shallots or onion 1 cup chopped mushrooms 1 tbsp. butter 1 cup cream 2 egg yolks 1 cup Bechamel Sauce (see separate recipe) 2 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper SAUTE onion and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add cream and simmer 15-20 minutes -- until the sauce is reduced to half the quantity. Strain. Pour a little of the cream mixture into the slightly beaten egg yolks, add to the rest of cream mixture with the Bechamel sauce. Cook a few minutes, until thickened. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Generally used with fish, shellfish and frogs' legs. Yield: about 11 cups, 8 servings.

REMOULADE 2 hard-cooked eggs 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tbsp. chopped parsley 1 tbsp. chopped green pepper 1 tsp. grated onion 2 teaspoons anchovy paste Few drops Worcestershire sauce 1 cup mayonnaise 4 stuffed olives, sliced Dash hot pepper sauce 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper CHOP hard-cooked eggs. Add other ingredients and blend well. Adjust salt to taste. Especially recom ended for celery root or hearts of palm salads and for fish salads. Yield: about 3 cup, 6-8 servings.

TARTARE SAUCE 1 cup mayonnaise 4 small, sweet pickles chopped 1 tbsp. minced onion 2 tbsp. minced green pepper 2 tbsp. lemon juice MIX all ingredients together. Traditionally served with any kind of fish.

Yield: 11 cups, 12 servings.

SAUCE VERTE 1 cup chopped spinach leaves 2 tbsp. chopped water cress 1 tbsp.chopped parsley 1 tbsp.chopped fresh chervil and/or tarragon 2 cups mayonnaise STEEP spinach, water cress, parsley and chervil and/or tarragon 3 minutes in boiling water to cover. Drain then press leaves through a sieve. You should have about 3-4 tablespoons of puree. Cool. Add mayonnaise and mix until thoroughly blended. Adjust seasoning to taste. Traditionally served with cold salmon; good whenever an herbed mayonnaise is appropriate. Yield: 2 1 cups, 12 servings.

PIQUANT SAUCE 1 tbsp. dry mustard 1 tbsp. vinegar 1 cup catsup 1 tsp. prepared horseradish 1 tsp. curry powder WORK mustard and vinegar into a paste and combine with catsup, horseradish and curry. This sauce is good for spareribs or other pork. Yield: about 1 cup, 4 servings.

HOT BARBECUE SAUCE 1 cup butter 1 cup salad oil 1 cup vinegar 2 tbsp. catsup 1 clove garlic crushed 1 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 cup lemon juice 1 tbsp. salt 1 tsp. grated lemon rind 1 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. red pepper COMBINE in a saucepan butter, salad oil, vinegar and catsup. Season with garlic, Worcesteshire sauce, lemon juice, salt, grated lemon rind, black pepper and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for half an hour. Use for chicken, beef or spareribs. Yield: 11 cups, six servings.

PERFECT HARMONY -- Smooth, lightly flavoured sauces complement these attractive dishes, prepared and arranged by chef Jean-Claude Garzia and featured in his cookbook, A Taste of Bermuda.