What Is Velouté Sauce?
Velouté sauce is one of the five main sauces, dubbed "mother sauces" of classic French cuisine. The other mother sauces are Espagnole, tomato, béchamel, and Hollandaise.
Velouté is classified as a white sauce and has a stock base and a smooth, velvet-like texture. The word "velouté" itself is derived from "velour," which translates to "velvet."
How Is Velouté Sauce Used?
Velouté, along with the other mother sauces, is a base sauce that can be used to make other sauces, such as allemande sauce, sauce supreme, and white wine sauce. There are three types of velouté sauce -- chicken, veal and fish, and the type of sauce depends on what stock is used to make it. Of all three, chicken is the most common. Velouté sauce is an important ingredient in many French dishes involving poultry or seafood, including chicken wellington and baked haddock.
How Can I Make Velouté Sauce From Scratch?
Making your own velouté sauce is easy. All you need is:
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 oz clarified butter
- 1 oz all-purpose flour
Instructions:
- In a saucepan, heat the stock to a simmer and then reduce heat so the stock remains warm without simmering
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it becomes frothy. Don't let it turn brown
- Stir the flour in with the butter bit by bit until fully incorporated. This will give you a paste called roux.
- Heat the roux until it turns a light blond color
- Slowly add the chicken stock to the roux and whisk together, making sure there are no lumps
- Simmer for 30 minutes or until the volume has reduced by about one-third, stirring frequently
- Remove the sauce from the heat and strain through a fine sieve for an extra velvety consistency
To store this sauce, you can refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze it for about a month. The sauce might thicken when it's frozen but will return to its smooth, original consistency when reheated on the stove.
