From DN Recipes by David Nagy · Food & Beverage

Four Master Sauces

Published

 

The velouté is the quiet powerhouse of French cuisine  one base, endless sauces. Chef Jack shows how technique + ratios turn a simple roux and stock into a full palette of classic derivatives.
From sauce suprême to mustard velouté, herb velouté, Albufeira and more — this is why mastering the mother sauces makes you a better cook overnight.
Classic Velouté
Ingredients • 1 part butter • 1 part plain flour • 15 parts hot chicken stock (or beef, fish, veg stock)
Steps
  1. Melt butter over low heat.
  2. Add flour and cook until the roux looks like wet sand.
  3. Heat chicken stock separately.
  4. Remove roux from heat, then slowly ladle in hot stock to create a smooth slurry.
  5. Whisk in remaining stock.
  6. Simmer gently until silky and nappe-thick.
  7. Sauce Suprême
Add: double cream + lemon juice Serve with: salmon, pickled lemon, green veg
  1. Mustard Velouté
Add: salt, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, lemon juice, double cream, chopped tarragon Serve with: chicken breast, charred broccoli, rapeseed oil
  1. Sauce Ivoire
Add: heavy cream, salt, tomato purée, lemon juice Serve with: picked white crab, charred leeks, courgette
  1. Herb Velouté
Add: basil, dill, parsley, tarragon, splash of cream, lemon juice (blend smooth) Serve with: halibut, herbs, pickled red onion
  1. Sauce Albufeira (Albuféra)
Add: salt, heavy cream, reduced beef stock, sherry vinegar, black pepper Serve with: fillet steak, charred pickled onion
Master the ratios, and suddenly one mother sauce gives you an entire menu.