Velouté

The word velouté comes from a French term for velvet, and the desired texture of the finished velouté sauce or soup is smooth and rich. A velouté sauce is often served with simply poached fish and poultry or seafood dishes and is used as the base for other sauces and sophisticated soups. A Velouté is prepared in a similar manner to béchamel a lightly coloured veal, chicken or fish stock replacing the flavoured scalded milk and a roux. The sauce produced is commonly referred to by the type of stock used e.g. chicken velouté. The quality and flavour of the stock used is heavily reflected in the finished sauce so use a homemade or quality stock. A velouté sauce was traditonal finished with cream and sometimes egg yolks.

Mushroom Soup made with Veloute

A classic velouté soup was made in a similar fashion and was thickened and finished with egg yolks, butter, and cream, though it is now used to refer to thicker soups such as vegetable purees as well as the more traditional style which are now normally just finished with cream.

For your base Velouté

Clarified butter has very few impurities or buttermilk which can burn and create dark specks in your finished sauce. Please note that this recipe is not seasoned as the velouté base will be finished with the addition of other ingredients then seasoned before serving.

50 gr Clarified Butter

50 gr Plain Flour

1 litre quality Veal, Chicken, or Fish stock

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan melt your butter and stir in the flour, cook over a moderate heat for five minutes until the roux is golden in colour. Heat the stock of your choice in a second pan. Allow the roux to cool slightly before adding the heated stock. Whisk the stock and roux together and bring to a very gentle simmer. Cover with a cartouche and cook out the sauce for about one hour. The finished sauce should just coat the back of a wooden spoon or ‘nape’ and if you need to adjust the consistency you can add a little extra hot stock. Pass the finished velouté through a chinois or fine strainer.

Allergens in this recipe are;

       

Please see the Allergens Page

A velouté base can be used to make a very large number of sauces, the recipes are for half a litre of velouté base;

Fish Velouté Sauces

White Wine Reduce 100 ml quality Dry White Wine by half. Add the velouté and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Add 75 ml fresh, thick Cream, 30 gr Unsalted Butter and season with fine Sea Salt, ground White Pepper and a couple drops of fresh Lemon juice.

Bercy Reduce 100 ml quality Dry White Wine by half with 2 large finely sliced Shallots and 6 White Peppercorns. Add the velouté and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Pass and serve.

Cardinal Heat the velouté and add 75 ml fresh, thick Cream, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper and 50 gr Lobster Butter.

Normandy Simmer velouté with 100 gr of sliced Button Mushrooms and 100 ml of reserved cooked Mussel liquor and reduce by a third. Finish with a liaison of 1 Egg Yolk and 75 ml fresh, thick Cream. Strain through a chinois and swirl in 30 gr Unsalted Butter while removed from the heat.

Chicken Velouté Sauces

Supreme Reduce Chicken Velouté by one quarter and add 50 ml of thick Cream, 25 gr Unsalted Butter and season with fine Sea Salt, freshly ground White Pepper and fresh Lemon juice to taste. Strain through a chinois or fine sieve.

Hungarian Sauté 1 medium, finely diced Onion in 50 gr Unsalted Butter until soft add ½ tablespoon Paprika, 100 ml quality White Wine and the velouté base. Reduce by a third and strain.

Ivory Add 75 ml of Chicken Glaze ( a very heavily reduced chicken stock ).

Veal Velouté Sauces

Allemande Heat the velouté base and finish with a liaison of 1 Egg Yolk, 50 ml thick Cream and a squeeze of fresh Lemon juice. Season and strain.

Aurora Add 1 heaped tablespoon of tomato paste to Allemande sauce.

Horseradish Add ½ teaspoon dry English Mustard powder and 1 tablespoon of fresh grated Horseradish to the velouté base and finish as for Allemande.

Poulette Simmer 100 gr of sliced Button Mushrooms when making the velouté base in a little butter. Finish with a liaison of 1 Egg Yolk, 50 ml thick Cream and a squeeze of fresh Lemon juice. Season, strain and add the Mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of finely chopped Parsley.