A liaison works differently than the thickening agents described previously, a liaison is used to smooth out and enrich the sauce with a minimal amount of thickening. It is made with egg yolks and cream, the cream is added to raise the temperature at which the yolks coagulate, making it easier to work with.
Using Your Liaison
- Whisk one part egg yolk with three parts whipping cream.
- If you dump your mixture into the hot sauce now it will curdle and probably ruin your sauce. So prior to adding it to the sauce you need to temper it.
- Once you add enough sauce to your mixture to bring it up to a warm temperature you can add it back into the sauce, while constantly whisking. Careful though, make sure your sauce isn’t above 185°F or the egg proteins will coagulate. Yolk proteins coagulate at about 150°F when alone and 185°F when combined with the cream.
- Your liaison is now ready to be used.
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