Making Velouté Sauce
You do not need a culinary school degree to master this. It relies entirely on the patience you show your roux and the quality of the stock you pull from your pantry.
Control the heat and the color.
The secret is avoiding the 'browning' of your roux; you want a blonde roux that smells like toasted grain but lacks any deep color. Use a high-quality stock, as the sauce will inherit the exact depth of the liquid you use.
- heavy-bottomed saucepan
- wire whisk
- fine-mesh sieve
What goes in.
- 2 tbspunsalted butter
- 2 tbspall-purpose flour
- 2 cupschicken, veal, or fish stock, warmed
Cooking out the raw flour
Cook the butter and flour mixture over medium-low heat for exactly two minutes until it smells toasted, ensuring you whisk constantly to prevent browning or clumping.
The method.
Melt the butter
Place your saucepan over medium-low heat and add the butter. Let it melt until it foams but before it shows any signs of darkening.
Form the roux
Add the flour and whisk immediately. Continue stirring for two minutes. It will look like wet, pale sand.
Add the stock
Pour in a half-cup of the warm stock while whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Once smooth, pour in the remaining stock in a steady stream, still whisking.
Simmer to thicken
Reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. You will know it is done when the sauce coats the back of the spoon and disappears only when you draw a line through it with your finger.
Strain
Pass the finished sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to catch any stray bits of flour.
Other turns to take.
Allemande
Whisk in two egg yolks and a splash of heavy cream once the sauce is off the heat.
Supreme
Stir in a few tablespoons of heavy cream and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always use warm stock; cold stock hitting a hot roux will shock the flour and cause immediate lumps.
If you accidentally create lumps, take the pan off the heat and whisk it into submission, or simply strain them out at the end.
Keep a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the sauce while it sits to prevent a skin from forming.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use vegetable stock?
You can, but the final color will be significantly darker and the flavor profile more intense, which may overpower delicate proteins.
Why did my sauce turn out grey?
Usually, this is a result of using a dark-colored stock or over-toasting the flour. Stick to clear, pale stocks for the classic velouté result.
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