In the culinary arts, liaison is word that broadly describes the process of thickening a sauce using starch (such as flour or cornstarch), egg yolks, fat, even foie gras or puréed vegetables. Most commonly, however, the word liaison refers to a mixture of egg yolks and heavy cream that is used to thicken a sauce.

What sauce uses a liaison?

The classic Allemande sauce is made by incorporating a liaison into a velouté sauce, like so: In a stainless steel or glass bowl, beat together the cream and egg yolks until smooth. This egg-cream mixture is your liaison.

What is the base for a sabayon?

A sabayon is a light sauce traditionally made with egg yolks, sugar and wine, normally Marsala. Also known by the Italian name zabaglione, it is believed to have originated in Italy in the 1500s, although there is much speculation about its exact inception.