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How to Make Lemon Sauce

One of the most useful fruits in European dishes is the lemon.  The lemon can add a mild, flavorful acid to dishes in a way that nothing else can.  A couple of lemons kept in the kitchen will be used almost every day.  A dash or squeeze of lemon juice can almost always be used in the simplest of dishes, especially the low-fat selections.  Lemon zest is an infinitely useful ingredient to add a zing to most any recipe.  In many recipes the juice of a lemon can be used to replace white wine and vinegar.  Many beginning chefs mistakenly assume that lemon juice will create a distinctive lemon flavor to a sauce when in fact it only provides a milder acidity than that provided by vinegar.  If the lemon flavor is desired, a grated lemon zest should be infused in the lemon juice prior to mixing with other ingredients.

 The word “sauce” is French for, “a relish to make food more appetizing”.  Most sauces are liquid or semi-liquid concoction prepared to make other foods look, smell, and taste better. Because of the lack of refrigeration in early days, meat, poultry, fish, and seafood didn’t last long.  Sauces and gravies were sometimes used to mask the flavor of tainted foods.

The following is a recipe for a basic lemon sauce to be used with desserts:

INGREADIENTS   

One tablespoon of cornstarch

½ cup of sugar

¼ teaspoon of salt

One cup of water

Two tablespoons of lemon juice

One teaspoon of grated lemon rind (zest)

One egg yoke

One tablespoon of butter

PREPARATION

1.         Mix together the cornstarch, sugar and salt and wisk thoroughly.

2.         Add the water and heat to boiling.  Cook until mixture is clear and thickened, stirring constantly.

3.         Add the lemon juice and rind and pour slowly over beaten egg yoke.

4.         Cook another minute and add the butter mixing well.

This recipe should yield 1 ¼ cups of lemon sauce.

Bon appetite