Classic French Sauces, a Critical Look

By James MacGuire

Drawn by E. Ronjat, engraved by C. LaPlante, in Le Livre de Cuisine by Jules Gouffé, Paris, 1867.

BY THE TIME I FINALLY WORKED my way up to saucier, in the mid-1970s, sauces were on the wane. The saucier was the most senior line cook, often doubling as sous chef, and the common perception was that it was the saucier’s handiwork in great part that elevate…