Sauces: Veloute and Sauce Supreme Basics
Understanding the foundational sauces of French cuisine can elevate your cooking to new heights. Veloute and Sauce Supreme are two classic examples that demonstrate the elegance of simplicity. Veloute is a smooth, velvety sauce made from a white roux and stock, serving as a blank canvas for countless dishes. Sauce Supreme, a luxurious offshoot of Veloute, incorporates cream and Parmesan cheese to create a rich, creamy sauce perfect for coating pasta, vegetables, or meats. These sauces are not only delicious but also versatile, allowing home cooks to experiment and create their own culinary masterpieces. The art of making Veloute lies in mastering the roux—equal parts flour and butter cooked gently to remove the raw flour taste without browning. The stock is then gradually whisked in, ensuring a silky texture free of lumps. Sauce Supreme builds upon Veloute by adding richness through cream and depth with Parmesan, creating a sauce that's both indulgent and refined. Learning these techniques empowers you to control the consistency and flavor profile of your sauces. Whether you're aiming for a light coating on roasted vegetables or a decadent topping for chicken, mastering these sauces will undoubtedly enhance your culinary repertoire. Veloute is straightforward yet requires attention to avoid breaking the sauce, while Sauce Supreme demands precision in balancing its creamy components. Both sauces benefit from patience and gentle heat, ensuring they maintain their luxurious texture. By understanding the science behind these sauces, you'll be better equipped to troubleshoot and perfect them, ensuring your dishes are restaurant-worthy every time.
Notes
The science behind Veloute is simple: the starch in flour swells when heated with liquid, creating a thickening agent. Ensure your roux is smooth and well-cooked to avoid a raw flour taste. If your sauce breaks, it's often due to adding stock too quickly or at too high a temperature; temper the stock by heating it gently first. Sauce Supreme's creamy texture relies on gradual incorporation of dairy and cheese to prevent separation. Keep the heat low when adding cream and cheese to maintain a smooth consistency. Both sauces can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently over low heat, whisking constantly to restore the sauce's original texture.
Steps
- 1 Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- 2 Add 3 tablespoons of flour to the melted butter, whisking constantly to form a smooth roux.
- 3 Cook the roux for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to remove the raw flour taste.
- 4 Gradually whisk in 3 cups of hot chicken or vegetable stock, ensuring no lumps form.
- 5 Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes.
- 6 Season the Veloute sauce with salt and white pepper to taste.
- 7 For Sauce Supreme, stir in 1 cup of heavy cream and cook until heated through.
- 8 Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese until fully melted and incorporated.
- 9 Simmer gently for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.
Ingredients to explore
Andouille Sausage
Andouille sausage is a coarse-grained, smoked pork sausage with a rich history rooted in French cuisine, particularly from the Alsace region. It was adapted in Louisiana, where it became a staple in Cajun and Creole cooking. The sausage is known for its robust, smoky flavor with hints of garlic, pepper, and other spices, creating a spicy and savory profile. Its texture is firm yet slightly chewy, making it a hearty addition to dishes. When cooked, andouille sausage maintains its shape well and infuses dishes with its distinctive smoky essence, enhancing stews, soups, and rice dishes.
00 Pizza Flour
00 pizza flour is a finely milled Italian flour prized for its versatility in creating authentic Neapolitan-style pizza crusts. Originating from Italy, it is milled to a very fine consistency, which is reflected in its name, 'doppio zero,' indicating its fine grind. This flour has a balanced flavor profile, offering a mild, slightly sweet taste with a subtle nuttiness. Its texture is silky and smooth, contributing to a tender yet chewy crust when used in pizza making. In cooking, 00 pizza flour is known for its ability to hydrate quickly and develop a desirable gluten structure, resulting in a light and airy crust that can withstand high-heat cooking without becoming overly crispy or hard.
Recipes to try
Shrimp Alfredo Stuffed Pasta Shells
Creamy, cheesy alfredo sauce stuffed into plump pasta shells and topped with succulent shrimp—comfort food at its finest.
Veggie and Cheese Sheet Pan Frittata
Imagine a golden, bubbly frittata loaded with colorful veggies and melty cheese, all baked to perfection on a single sheet pan.