Building a Veloute

A veloute is one of the classical French mother sauces, made by thickening a stock (chicken, fish, mussel, or similar) with a blond roux of butter and flour, then finishing with cream or butter for silkiness. The key to success is building depth: reduce the stock before thickening, skim impurities, and season carefully at the end. At home, a good veloute transforms simple poached chicken or pan fried fish into something restaurant quality. If yours splits or turns grainy, a quick blitz with a stick blender and a fresh knob of cold butter will usually bring it back together.