Veganizing Classic Sauces - Velout
This is part II of my multi-part series explaining how I ‘veganized’ five classical French sauces. Part I introduced the importance of including classical sauces in the home cook’s arsenal of recipes. I introduced my take on Vegan Béchamel and offered two example recipes as to how I use the sauce in my kitchen. This week, I explore Velouté and how I use my plant-based version in different ways. I hope this explanation de-mystifies another French classical sauce and helps you to expand your repertoire of simple and tasty vegan recipes!
Silvia is a knowledgeable and capable home cook. She has no problem putting together flour and oil in a pan and slowly dribbling in the correct amount of soy milk to create a silky béchamel sauce for her eggplant lasagna. No recipe is required. No measuring devices are in sight. Instinct and knowledge are all she needs…and the result is a delicious dinner that encourages a second helping.
But then she is asked about velouté. The mood in the kitchen changes. Her cooking knowledge suddenly wanes. She grabs a glass of red wine and says, “it sounds a bit like some kind of fabric.” Head down and back to concentrating on the food in front of her, she speaks for many home cooks and says, “it sounds complicated.”
Velouté is an intimidating French culinary term. It implies something fancy…perhaps too fancy for a Tuesday evening dinner at home. In reality, making a velouté is not any more difficult than making a béchamel. The technique is identical. The only difference is a velouté is made with a stock (broth) instead of dairy…or in my case, a plant-based milk.
Like béchamel…and many of the classical French sauces, the key to a successful preparation is in the making of the roux.
Roux is simply a mixture of equal parts fat and flour that is gently cooked in a heavy bottomed saucepan. White roux is barely cooked – usually about 5-10 minutes. It is the style used to make a béchamel sauce. Pale roux is cooked a bit longer – about 15-20 minutes – until it takes on a pale golden color. Pale roux is used to make velouté. Dark roux (sometimes called red roux) is cooked much longer - about 25-35 minutes – until the roux darkens considerably. This type of roux is the primary thickening agent in classical brown sauces…and also the Cajun classic gumbo.
All types of roux are simple to make. Use a heavy bottomed saucepan to prevent scorching, gently heat the oil over medium-low heat, add the flour (or starch) all at once and stir constantly until a thick paste forms. That’s it!
The fat I use to make a roux plays an important role in the texture and flavor of my version of velouté; first as a binding agent to the starchy flour, and then as a flavoring component. Unprocessed rapeseed oil is quite viscous and blends nicely with flour to create a homogeneous paste that resists leaking. It also has the added benefit of developing a slight buttery note when heated – a plus for some who miss that particular flavor. Extra virgin olive oil is substitution candidate, but it also tends to leak when heated too long or when acids are added to the mixture. Unprocessed sunflower oil is another option to consider but be aware of the nutty aromas that might be too intensive for a soup or sauce thickened by roux.
Once the roux is made, finishing the velouté is just a matter of slowly incorporating the broth into the roux paste while constantly whisking the sauce. The sauce thickens quickly at first, then eventually becomes smooth and creamy after 15-20 minutes. You know it is finished when it can cling to a spoon without easily dribbling off.
It’s critical to use a strong vegetable broth in preparing a velouté – ideally one that is homemade. Stock cubes and powders are heavy in the sodium department and taste highly processed; they dominate the tastes and sensations of a velouté. From my perspective, this isn’t pleasant while swishing around in the mouth. A good velouté should taste of vegetables – or the flavoring ingredient emphasized in the vegetable broth. It needs to fill your mouth with comfort and intensive flavors.
For reference purposes, roughly 3 tablespoons of oil combined with 3 tablespoons of flour thickens about one liter (one quart) of liquid.
After patiently listening to this long explanation, Silvia looked up, rubbed her slightly weary eyes, and asked, “so why bother with that kind of preparation?” It’s a valid question…a question most home cooks might ask?
My answer usually includes something along these lines, “how would a lasagna taste without a creamy and rich béchamel to balance the tomato sauce?” Well, a velouté works the same way to create creaminess in food…to make food taste richer – more pronounced…to put an elegant exclamation point on the food – one that clearly says the cook cares…and because it is basically the same kind of sauce as a béchamel.
In my vegan world, I use velouté most often in preparing soups – either creamy soups or chowders. I also like to use velouté to make strong sauces – mostly for pasta – that highlight a particular flavor. Something like my Mushrooms and Leeks in Riesling Velouté – a sort of playful interpretation of the Alsatian classic Coq au Vin. I also use velouté to create a creamy braising liquid I use to slowly cook vegetables in the oven.
Learning how to make a proper velouté is simple – it opens up many new roads that can lead to new and exciting culinary adventures… It’s a connection to something real – perhaps once imagined – something classical and historical. It’s a glimpse into what real food can be – and once tasted, there is no turning back.
I enjoy receiving your feedback…so, please feel free to spark up a conversation about plant-based milk alternatives and your own experience. I’m personally interested in what you have to say, and I know other readers of VeganWeekly are also interested in opinions like-minded followers.
Of course, sharing this newsletter with your friends, family and social media contacts also helps and sustains me… and who knows…maybe this newsletter could help others who may crave valuable insights into the art of vegan cooking.
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