Jean’s Kitchen – Jean Doherty

Velouté sauce is one of the original “mother sauces” of classic French cuisine. It is also my soup every day @ “Le Patio” and a lot of you ask me “What is a Velouté”? Despite the fancy sounding name, Velouté is actually just a white sauce that is usually stock-based and thickened with a white roux. The word Velouté is French from “Velour”, which means “Velvet.” As its name implies, a correctly made velouté will have a smooth and velvety texture.

The ingredients for a velouté sauce are butter, flour and a light stock. The type of stock used will depend on the dish being created. Although chefs usually make velouté with chicken, veal or fish, some cooks also use beef, ham or bouillon. This sauce is commonly referred to by the type of stock that was used in the recipe, such as a chicken velouté or a fish velouté. I use only olive oil and fresh herbs in my velouté. Then, it’s pureed in a food processer and looks, feels and tastes for all the world like a creamy soup, but can contain as low as zero fat as often as not.

Start out with minced onions tenderly simmered in extra virgin olive oil, stir in a little flour to make the roux that will lightly thicken the soup, and cook until the oil and flour are foaming nicely.  Then, moisten with a stock or milk or wine (depending on your major ingredient) and simmer a few minutes more. That’s the traditional base for a myriad of soups, be they based on chicken, mushrooms, artichokes, broccoli – or even fish.

When making vegetable soups, don’t be too lavish with chicken stock, particularly canned stock. If it is too strong, you’ll muffle the taste of vegetables like broccoli or zucchini; so, no rules here –  trust your own judgment of taste. You are the chef.

Jean Doherty is the Chef and Owner of Le Patio Restaurant in Wilton Manors (954) 530-4641