Which leading sauce is made from brown stock, mirepoix, and tomatoes thickened with a brown roux?

• A. Espagnole
• B. Bechamel
• C. Veloute
• D. Hollandaise

Answer: (A)

The sauce described is Espagnole. It’s a brown sauce built from brown stock, mirepoix for depth of flavor, and tomato (often tomato purée or paste), all thickened with a brown roux. The browning of the stock and roux gives it the characteristic deep color and rich, savory flavor. This sauce is a foundation for many others, notably demi-glace, and is one of the classic French mother sauces.

Bechamel uses milk with a white roux, giving a creamy, pale sauce; Velouté uses white stock with a white roux; Hollandaise is an emulsion of egg yolks and clarified butter flavored with lemon, not stock-based.