Chicken Velouté
Metadata
Published: October 31, 2025
Key Ingredients: Chicken Stock, Clarified Butter, Flour, Roux
Tags: #🌐 recipe french mother-sauce veloute
A foundational French mother sauce with a silky texture and neutral flavor, perfect as a base for countless derivative sauces or served alongside chicken and fish dishes.
Preparation Time
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 35 mins
- Servings: 6 servings (1 1/4 cups)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, more as needed
- 1 ounce clarified butter (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 ounce all-purpose flour (about 3 tablespoons)
Instructions
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Heat the Stock: Bring 2 1/2 cups chicken stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Lower the heat to keep the stock hot.
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Prepare the Roux: In a separate heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt 1 ounce clarified butter over medium heat until it becomes frothy. Take care not to let it turn brown, as velouté must be off-white in color.
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Make the Roux: With a wooden spoon, stir 1 ounce all-purpose flour into the melted butter a little bit at a time, until it is fully incorporated. The resulting pale yellow-colored paste is called a roux.
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Cook the Roux: Heat the roux for another few minutes or so, until it has turned a light blond color. This helps cook off the raw flour flavor. Don’t let the mixture turn brown.
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Combine Stock and Roux: Using a wire whisk, slowly add the hot chicken stock to the roux, whisking vigorously to make sure it’s free of lumps. Keep whisking while adding the stock.
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Simmer and Reduce: Simmer, reducing the heat as needed, for about 30 minutes or until the total volume has reduced by about one-half, stirring frequently to make sure the sauce doesn’t scorch at the bottom of the pan or form lumps while cooking. Use a ladle to skim off any solids or impurities that might rise to the surface.
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Adjust Consistency: The sauce should be smooth and velvety. If it’s too thick, whisk in a bit more stock until it’s just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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Strain and Finish: Once you can coat the back of a spoon, remove the sauce from the heat. For an extra smooth consistency, carefully pour the sauce through a wire mesh strainer lined with a piece of cheesecloth.
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Keep Warm: Keep the velouté covered until you’re ready to use it.
Notes
- Mother Sauce: One of five French mother sauces, velouté serves as base for numerous derivative sauces like Allemande (with eggs and cream) and Suprême (with cream, butter, and lemon juice)
- Color: Keep butter and roux light blonde—browning will darken the sauce
- Storage: Refrigerate in closed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months
- Variations: Can be made with veal or fish stock instead of chicken stock