French · Soup · Easy
Veloute
One of the five French mother sauces: a silky blonde roux whisked with light stock. The foundation of a hundred soups.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Veloute, in 5 ideas
- Warm stock incorporates into the roux far more smoothly than cold.
- The roux must stay blonde; any browning turns this into an espagnole, a different mother sauce.
- Twenty minutes of simmering cooks out the raw flour taste.
- This is the base for supreme sauce (with cream), allemande, and countless soups.
- Straining at the end guarantees restaurant-level silkiness.
What you need
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken, veal, or fish stock, warmed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- White pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
How to make it
Directions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a smooth paste.
- Cook the roux 3 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty but stays pale blonde.
- Slowly pour in the warm stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Simmer 20 minutes, skimming any foam, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Season with salt and white pepper. Stir in cream if you like, and strain for perfect smoothness.
Money saver. Make a double batch and freeze in portions. A puck of veloute jump-starts weeknight pan sauces and soups.