Velouté Sauce

5 from 1 vote

A properly made Velouté that is pale golden, velvety, and built on a blond roux and white chicken stock is the kind of fundamental that separates a talented home cook from everyone else. Make a batch, store it, and watch how many sauces you can make with it.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: sauces

Cuisine: French

Servings: cups

Calories: 479kcal

Author: Mike Cleavenger

Ingredients

1 ounce or 28g of butter
1 ounce or 28g of flour all-purpose
2 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
white pepper to taste

Instructions

Warm your chicken stock in a separate saucepan over low heat. Do not allow it to boil.
Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour all at once and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 3-5 minutes until the roux smells nutty and looks like wet sand. This is your blond roux.
Add warm stock one ladle at a time, stiring fully between each addition. Once half the stock is incorporated switch to a whisk, and add the remaining stock in a steady stream while whisking continuously.
Return to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce to low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is pale golden and coats the back of a spoon.
Season with salt and white pepper. Taste and adjust.

Notes

Homemade chicken stock is rich in gelatin and will always deliver a better result than store-bought.
Season with white pepper instead black pepper.
To make Sauce Suprême: reduce the finished velouté and whisk in ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream. Finish with cold butter off the heat.
Refrigerate up to 3 days with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface. Freeze up to 3 months — sauce may need re-whisking after thawing.
The 1:1:15 ratio (butter:flour:stock by weight) is your baseline. Increase roux for a thicker sauce.

Nutrition