Method
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3–4 minutes, keeping the roux pale blond.
- Gradually whisk in the warm stock until smooth. Add the bay leaf.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 25–30 minutes, stirring and skimming as needed, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
- Remove the bay leaf, season with white pepper and salt, and strain.
- Use immediately or cool rapidly. When reheating, whisk in a little stock if the sauce has tightened.
Variations
Finish chicken velouté with cream for sauce suprême, add sautéed mushrooms for mushroom sauce, or finish fish velouté with cream and lemon.
Component recipes
These are direct ingredients or options used by the recipe above.
- For the chicken-stock option, use Roasted Chicken Stock.
- For the vegetable-stock option, use All-Purpose Vegetable Stock.
Related recipes and techniques
These are extensions, technique comparisons, or serving relationships; the complete recipe above remains usable as written.
- Béchamel Mother Sauce uses the same pale-roux technique with milk instead of stock.
- Espagnole Mother Sauce takes the roux-and-stock family in a darker, more deeply browned direction.