Onion and Green Apple Chutney	Creme Anglaise	Hollandaise	Pineapple Salsa with Cilantro--Recipe below.
Bearnaise Sauce	White Chocolate Sauce with Mint	Sorrel Sauce	Vincent Sauce

The Introduction

I have always compared cooking and its various disciplines to a magnificent, year-old tree--mighty, full of life, and reaching out in all directions, with the trunk's sap providing nourishment to every branch. As one of the many roots of the tree--up there, or rather down there, with the grandest of them--you would undoubtedly find sauces.

I first discovered the magic of sauces as a fourteen-year-old apprentice to a professional chef. It was then that I learned to master the classic sauces that play such an important part in French cuisine. From that time onward, I have modified and put my own stamp on all manner of sauces to best fit my own tastes, which have been in a state of continuous and subtle evolution.

It is a huge please for me to revisit the first edition of my book Sauces, published in 1996, and so to find myself in the position of fine-tuning such a body of work, and also of s haring with you some modern sauces from all over the globe. Nages, coulis, salsas, and simple jus, for example, now form part of my expanded repertoire. My contemporary sauces are aromatic, light, and delicate on the palate, with a long finish in the mouth, thickened only lightly to allow their true flavors to shine through.

Sauces are the cook's alchemy, magically enhancing the dishes they are served with in an extraordinary way. They must, however, be chosen carefully, so as to heighten the flavors of the dish without overpowering them in any way. A carefully prepared sauce will meld into a dish and become an integral part.

Martin Brigdale's superb step-by-step photographs at the start of each chapter will make it easy for you to master the techniques. Sauce making is a wonderfully creative and expressive branch of cooking. I hope this new volume will inspire you to explore it to the fullest.

Excerpted from Michel Roux's Sauces: Revised and Updated Edition by Michel Roux, copyright © 2010. Published by Rizzoli International Publications, a division of Random House Inc.

For a detailed description & pricing information on Sauces click here.

About Michel Roux

Michel Roux has held three Michelin stars for an impressive twenty-four years at his renowned restaurant, The Waterside Inn at Bray, now with his son Alain at the helm. His career has been highly successful ever since he opened his first restaurant, the highly acclaimed Le Gavroche in London, with his brother Albert. Michel holds countless other culinary honors and he was awarded the OBE in 2002 and the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur in 2004. Michel frequently appears on television and has written several successful books. His original Sauces (1996) won the Glenfiddich Visual Award and sold over 300,000 copies.

Pineapple Salsa with Cilantro

A delicious salsa to go with grilled dishes, such as pork spareribs or sausages, duck breast, or swordfish. It is best served just warm, so should ideally be prepared at least 1 hour in advance.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon light brown sugar 1/3 medium fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 red serrano chile, minced
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Small pinch of salt

Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat and sprinkle with the sugar. As soon as the sugar has melted and nearly caramelized, add the diced pineapple. Cook the pineapple, stirring every minute or so with a wooden spatula, until lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Pour the pineapple into a large bowl and add the chile, sambal oelek, lime juice, and cilantro. Mix well with a spoon, adding a touch of salt to taste.

Not everyone is keen on fresh cilantro. My advice when using it is to only include half the specified amount in the salsa, and serve the rest separately in a small dish. Alternatively, substitute half the quantity of cilantro with chopped, flat-leaf parsley.

Reprinted from Michel Roux's Sauces: Revised and Updated Edition by Michel Roux, copyright © 2010. Reprinted with permission of Rizzoli International Publications, a division of Random House Inc.

More by Michel Roux (including the original edition of Sauces:)