Velouté Sauce, the Silky French Mother Sauce
Homemade velouté sauce: a pale blond roux loosened with hot stock for a smooth, silky base, perfect for veloutés, gratins, and mains in sauce.
Want a smooth, silky sauce that coats white meat and fish without masking their flavor? Then follow this recipe: velouté is one of the French mother sauces, and it starts from a simple move, a pale blond roux loosened with hot stock.
Velouté is the cousin of béchamel, but instead of milk it uses stock: and it’s the stock that gives it that delicate taste and that silky texture, perfect for mains in sauce, for gratins, and as a base for soups.
It has at least three real advantages: it’s made with just a few ingredients you already have, it changes character depending on the stock you choose, and it’s the base from which many classic sauces begin.
The most important tip is about the roux: it must stay blond, pale and just golden, without browning. An overcooked roux would change the color and flavor of the sauce. Then pour in the hot stock a little at a time, whisking constantly, and the velouté comes out smooth the first time.
Adjust the thickness to the use and, if you need it perfectly smooth, strain it before serving. If you’re not using it right away, cover it with plastic wrap touching the surface.
Ready? Let’s make velouté sauce.
Base preparations used
To make this recipe
A small selection of handy tools to keep within reach. Some links may be affiliate links.
Pastry whisk
Useful for whipping egg whites to stiff peaks and for gently folding the mixture without deflating it.
Steps
- Heat the stock and keep it hot: you'll add it to the roux a little at a time.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the flour all at once, and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until you have a pale, just-golden blond roux, without letting it brown.
- Pour in the hot stock a little at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens and coats the spoon.
- Season with salt and white pepper. Strain it if you want a perfectly smooth velouté.
Helpful tips
The roux must stay blond: if it browns too much it changes the flavor and color of the sauce.
With chicken stock it becomes the classic chicken velouté; with fish stock it's the base for seafood sauces.
Loosen it with a little extra stock to turn it into a velouté soup to serve as a light starter.
Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface if you're not using it right away, so no skin forms.
Average nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 8.0 g
- Sugars
- 1.0 g
- Protein
- 2.0 g
- Fat
- 8.0 g
- Saturated fat
- 5.0 g
- Fiber
- 0.0 g
- Sodium
- 240 mg
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