Velouté Sauce is a creamy white sauce made from a white roux and white stock. While delicious on its own, this sauce is used for other sauces, gravies, and soups.
One of the first lessons in culinary school is all about the five mother sauces. The five sauces are Bechamel, Tomato, Espagnole, Hollandaise, and Velouté. Similar to the bechamel sauce, velouté is thickened with a white roux. It is then combined with white stock made from either chicken, fish, or veal.
This chicken velouté sauce recipe is made with chicken stock, a common household staple. On its own, velouté sauce tastes like a light gravy. It is most often used as a starting point for other sauces, gravies, and soups versus served as is. Similar to its meaning in French, velvety, velouté has a smooth mouthfeel and luscious texture.
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Ingredients
- Salted Butter – Salted butter is a flavorful starting point for the roux; however, unsalted butter works perfectly fine as well.
- All-Purpose Flour – The flour and butter make up the white roux. Stick with the household staple, all-purpose flour, for this recipe.
- Chicken Stock – Store-bought or homemade.
- Salt and White Pepper – Season to taste.
Instructions
The first step is to make the roux with equal parts butter and flour. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
Stir in the all-purpose flour, to create a roux. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.
Whisk in the chicken stock, a ½ cup at a time, whisking until smooth and incorporated.
Season with salt and white pepper. *Start with a ¼ teaspoon of each.
Bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
How to Serve this Sauce
Though not technically a finished sauce, this velouté recipe is delicious as is when paired with cooked chicken. It tastes similar to chicken gravy. As stated above, this recipe is a starting point for other velouté sauce derivatives including the following:
- Allemande – thickened with egg yolks
- Supreme – made with mushrooms and cream
- Poulette Sauce – made with mushrooms, parsley, and lemon
In addition to the above sauces, velouté is a velvety base for creamy soups like cream of broccoli or potato.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, velouté is often made with fish stock. Follow the same instructions but replace the chicken stock with fish stock. From there, you can make sauce bercy which has the addition of white wine and shallots.
Store the completed and cooled sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Yes, this sauce can be frozen. Allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Freeze the sauce for up to 3 months.
Pour the sauce through a mesh strainer.
Recipe Tips
Add a splash of white wine with the chicken stock for added flavor.
As stated above, start with ¼ teaspoon of each salt and white pepper. Taste the sauce before adding more. If using unsalted butter, start with ½ teaspoon of salt.
The sauce is done when it coats the back of a spoon. The longer the sauce is cooked, the thicker it will become.
Other Sauce Recipes You’ll Love
This easy-to-make chicken velouté sauce recipe is a starting point for a multitude of sauce and soup recipes. Mastering this sauce will open a world of possibilities in the kitchen. Made with pantry staples, velouté is a simple sauce and the perfect starting point for mastering classic French cuisine.
📖 Recipe
Veloute Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon salted butter
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock store-bought or homemade
- salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Stir in the all-purpose flour, to create a roux. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.
- Whisk in the chicken stock, a ½ cup at a time, whisking until smooth and incorporated. Season with salt and white pepper. (Start with a ¼ teaspoon of each and taste before adding more.)
- Bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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