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Velute sauce – is one of the five classic «mother» sauces of French cuisine. Its base is – light broth (chicken, fish or veal) and light ru (a mixture of butter and flour, heated in a pan or in a saucepan, but without frying until golden brown). The result is a delicate, silky sauce with a delicate but rich taste.
Origin history
For the first time, velute began to be prepared in the 17th century in French royal kitchens. The name comes from the French word velours («oxamit»), which emphasizes its special texture. The sauce eventually entered Auguste Escoffier's culinary classification and became an integral part of classical European gastronomy.
Composition and basic recipe
- 40 g of butter
- 40 g of wheat flour
- 500 ml of light broth (chicken, fish or veal).
Fry the flour in butter until light creamy. Add hot broth and stir constantly so that lumps do not form. Cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes, removing the foam.
Use in cooking
Velute sauce is often used as a base for other sauces, but there are also dishes where it acts as an integral part. Classically, it accompanies white meat, fish and vegetables, as it has a delicate taste and does not interrupt the main product. Actually, in haute cuisine, velute is considered a "background sauce" that does not dominate, but emphasizes the product. It is most often used in French dishes with poultry and fish.
Dishes with poultry
- Chicken in velute sauce: fried pieces of chicken with a light sauce on chicken broth
- Chicken fricassee: stewed chicken pieces in velute with mushrooms and cream.
Fish dishes
- Fish with velute sauce, especially with zander, cod or halibutPike perch “Bonne Femme”, a classic of French cuisine: pike perch baked with white wine, velute, mushrooms and shallots.
Vegetables and side dishes
- Asparagus under velute: the delicate sauce emphasizes the delicate taste of vegetables
- Potato croquettes with velute sauce – serving with light broth sauce.
Soups and cream soups
- Cream soups made from vegetables: velute is used as a base for soups made from cauliflower, mushrooms, celery
- Chicken puree soup: a light soup based on chicken broth, in which velute sauce acts as a thickener.
Derived sauces
A whole group of «daughter» sauces is created from velute, including:
- suprem: on chicken broth with cream and butter
- alemand: with the addition of egg yolk, cream and lemon juice
- normandy: on fish broth with white wine and mushrooms
- aurore: with the addition of tomato puree.
In the following posts, we will consider three more “mother” classic sauces. Share in the comments whether you have prepared any of them, or your own culinary secrets or life hacks ()
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