Veloute Recipes

VELOUTE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute (the flour should not take on any color).
• Pour in stock, whisking to incorporate fully, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, whisking fairly often, to cook out raw flour taste and thicken the liquid (it should reach the consistency of heavy cream).

SPAGHETTI WITH SEAFOOD VELOUTé

Steps:

• Prepare all the seafood by first opening the oysters into a sieve over a bowl to catch the juices (see video technique). Trim and slice the salmon into 6 equal-size square chunks. If the scallops are large, cut them in half lengthways. Peel and devein the prawns if needed.
• Place the strained oyster juice and fish stock into a shallow saucepan and bring to a simmer. First add the salmon and poach for 1 min. Add the prawns and oysters (if using large ones) and poach for 1 min more. Add the scallops and poach for 1 min more, then add the oysters (if small) and simmer everything for a final min until just cooked.
• Carefully tip the fish and poaching liquid into a sieve over a large saucepan or bowl, keeping all the salmon chunks intact.
• Heat half the butter in the cleaned shallow pan and add the shallot. Cook very gently for 5 mins until soft but not coloured, then pour in the alcohol and boil until reduced to a few tablespoons. Pour in the poaching liquid and boil down until reduced by half, about 20-25 mins. Stir in the cream and, once more, reduce by half. Turn down to a gentle simmer and whisk in the rest of the butter.
• Gently add the seafood to the sauce, taking care not to break up the salmon. Simmer lightly until heated through, then add most of the herbs, squeeze over the lemon juice and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling water until just done, about 3-4 mins, then drain well and add back to the pan with a drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the herbs. You are now ready to plate up.
• Use a roasting fork to twirl a neat bundle of spaghetti. Stand the bundle in the middle of a warm large pasta bowl. Alternate the salmon and seafood around the pasta. Spoon the sauce over the seafood, top the pasta with the chervil or parsley sprigs and serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS VELOUTé

Steps:

• 1. Wash the asparagus. Cut 2 inches (5 cm.) off the tips and save them for another use. Do not peel the stalks but cut them into 15-inch (3-cm.) pieces.
• 2. Bring the stock or broth to a boil in a soup pot. When it bubbles, add the asparagus pieces and sugar. Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• 3. Blend and pass through a fine strainer (a chinois if possible), pressing on the solids with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Put the soup back in the pot, bring back to a boil, and boil about 30 minutes more.
• 4. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch in a bowl with 1 tablespoon cold water. Beat the yolk and cream together in a bowl large enough to hold all the soup.
• 5. When the soup in the pot has been reduced by about half, whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly, and then gently pour everything into the bowl with the egg-cream mixture, whisking as you pour.
• 6. Pour the contents of the bowl back into the soup pot and heat very gently in order to thicken. Stir with a spatula and turn off the heat at the first sign of boiling. Blend. Season with salt as necessary.

VELOUTE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the stock, 1/2 cup at a time. Whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.

VELOUTE

Steps:

• In a saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add flour and stir (using a wooden spoon). In a separate saucepan have hot stock over low to medium heat. While constantly whisking, gradually add hot stock to the roux (the butter and flour mixture). Simmer mixture while continuing to whisk. Sauce will thicken in a few minutes. ***To basic finished veloute sauce, add 1 cup sauteed mushrooms, Tabasco, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Toss with pasta. Garnish with parsley.

FISH VELOUTE (VELOUTE DE POISSON)

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. When blended, add the stock, stirring rapidly with the whisk. When thickened and smooth, let simmer about 30 minutes, stirring often with the whisk.
• As the sauce cooks, globules or rivulets of butter will probably rise to the top. Skim off and discard this butter.

CAULIFLOWER VELOUTE WITH AMERICAN CAVIAR

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Measure out 3 cups cauliflower florets and set aside. Using the remaining florets and stems, add 8 cups cauliflower, heavy cream, and stock; stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add reserved cauliflower florets; cook, stirring, until cauliflower is tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Transfer cauliflower-cream mixture to the jar of a blender; carefully blend until smooth. Return soup to saucepan and bring to simmer; add lemon juice and cayenne pepper.
• Divide soup evenly among 24 small serving cups. Garnish each with reserved sauteed cauliflower florets, 1/4 teaspoon caviar, and a small tarragon leaf; serve immediately.