Mother Sauce: Velouté with Garlic and Herbs

Hi guys!

For a number of my growing-up years we lived in the mountains of British Columbia, we had a telephone party line which we shared with all of our neighbors and a colour TV with two channels. Talk about modern technology!

We were never allowed to touch the telephone and our television viewing choices were limited, to say the least! I was outnumbered by my two brothers so if there was a vote between M*A*S*H and Little House on the Prairie… I generally lost. However, one of our two stations played cooking shows Saturday afternoon (after early morning Saturday morning cartoons) The other channel must have aired something horrible because there was never even a vote on what to watch. All three of us would agree on watching a good cooking show, which was perfect for me! The cooking shows of the late 70’s and early 80’s are still my favorites to this day .

The Frugal Gourmet,  Wok with Yan, The Galloping Gourmet,  The Cajun Cook, The French Chef  – these were the original pioneers of TV cooking shows! They were funny, they knew everything  and the food they made was so exotic and different we would speculate what the crazy foods would taste like. They would talk to the camera like they were talking directly to us,  we loved them!

It’s crazy how much I still do/use/remember from  watching those early cooking shows:

• I have to add TONS of fresh cracked black pepper when I make mashed potatoes because Jeff Smith from the Frugal Gourmet said it was ESSENTIAL for good mashed potatoes.
• I still use the phrase “I GARE-on-TEE!” (in my mind I SOUND JUST LIKE Justin Wilson with his thick Cajun accent when I say it).
• Owning a Stephan Yan apron is on my bucket list. (Hey boys, think Christmas or birthday! Whichever one of you jump on this first will be my favorite child!)

However, Julia Child (back then, and still to this day) is my favorite. She brought joy into the art of cooking… even when she made a mistake, she LAUGHED! I loved her. She would make all these glorious sauces and pour them over all kinds of yummy things… making them even more yummy I am sure with her sauces.  She made all French sauces look so easy!

Luckily, they are easy! Once you understand how simple and quick they are you will be amazed at how easy and tasty it is to change something simple into something “gourmet.”

Velouté sauce is a white stock sauce. This means it is made from bones that have not been roasted. Generally chicken, fish, or even vegetable stock is used. It is thickened with a roux and seasoned with salt and pepper. So simple and so easy to change up… think outside the box!

Love You!

Mom (Remember …. favorite child status is up for grabs.)

“sauces are the splendor and glory of French cooking, yet there is nothing serious or mysterious about making them. These are indispensable to the home cook.”

-Julia Child

Funny Memory Moment:

Your Uncle Mike (my oldest brother) would set his alarm clock for 2:00 am every night and then wake up both Uncle Danny and me. We would all huddle around the TV with the volume set as low as it would go, and watch re-runs of Hawaii 5-O.

Worth it!

Mother Sauce: Velouté Sauce with Garlic and Herbs

Velvety, glossy, classic French velouté sauce with an herb twist! Garlic and herbs make it extra tasty on simple chicken breast.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Sauce, Side Dish

Cuisine French

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

  

Basic Velouté Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Garlic Herb Velouté Sauce (Add to Basic Sauce)

• 1 garlic clove minced very fine
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme minced very fine
• 1 Tbsp fresh chives minced very fine
• 1 tsp fresh parsley minced very fine
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp butter
• extra chicken stock to use if needed

Instructions

 

• In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add the garlic and STIR. You do not want this to burn or even brown. If your melted butter is starting to look a little golden turn the heat down. NOTE: You only add the garlic if you are making the garlic herb sauce; omit if you want it plain.
• Add the flour and stir over heat for a couple more minutes.
• Whisk in broth. This will thicken very quickly, so keep your whisk moving! You want a silky texture. It should lightly coat the spoon. Remove from heat.
  
• In a small heavy-bottomed sauce pan add the cooking sherry and thyme. Simmer for 5 min. You are reducing down the sherry by a little more than half.
• Add reduced sherry, thyme, chives and parsley to velouté sauce. The sauce will thicken as it sits, so add a little more chicken stock to bring it back to the desired thickness. Add 1 Tbsp of butter and mix.
  
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