Classic velouté

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 30 g butter (2 tbsp)
• 1 small shallot(s), very finely diced
• 30 g flour (3 tbsp)
• 500 ml stock (vegetable, fish, veal or chicken, depending on use and taste)
• 50 ml crème fraîche
• 1 pinch(s) nutmeg, freshly grated
• salt and pepper
• 100 ml white wine, if necessary, then 100 ml less stock
• 1 tbsp herbs (e.g. parsley, chives, tarragon etc.), finely chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 25 minutes

Velvet sauce

Melt the butter and sauté the shallot over low heat for 5 minutes until translucent. Remove the pan from the heat, add the flour and immediately stir with a whisk. Return the pan to the heat and sauté the flour briefly. Add half of the stock and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Slowly add the remaining stock, bring to a boil and stir well. Let everything simmer for about 15 minutes so that the sauce doesn’t taste of flour later. Finally, stir in the crème fraîche and season to taste. Either use the sauce immediately or remove from the heat and pull cling film tightly over the pan to prevent a skin from forming. To reheat, add a little hot stock and stir well again with a whisk to avoid lumps of flour. You can also refine a velouté with a little white wine and herbs.