veloute

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Word: Velouté

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Velouté is a type of white sauce that is made by thickening stock (which is a flavorful liquid made by simmering meat, fish, or vegetables) instead of using milk.

Usage Instructions

• Velouté is often used as a base for other sauces. It can be flavored with various ingredients to create different dishes.
• It is considered one of the "mother sauces" in French cuisine, which means it is a basic sauce from which many other sauces can be derived.

Example

• You might say, "The chef made a delicious chicken dish served with a creamy velouté sauce."

Advanced Usage

• In professional cooking, chefs might use velouté to create sauces like sauce suprême (a cream sauce made by adding cream to velouté) or sauce allemande (a sauce made by adding egg yolks and cream to velouté).
• Understanding how to make a good velouté is essential for culinary students as it forms the foundation for many complex sauces and dishes.

Word Variants

• There are no direct variants of "velouté," but you may encounter related terms such as:
  • "Sauce" (a general term for a liquid or semi-liquid substance served with or used in preparing food)
  • "Stock" (the flavored liquid made by simmering ingredients)

Different Meaning

• In a broader sense, "velouté" literally means "velvety" in French, describing the smooth and silky texture of the sauce.

Synonyms

• Although there aren’t direct synonyms for "velouté," you may refer to it as:
  • White sauce (but note that white sauce usually refers to a béchamel, which is made with milk)
  • Sauce blonde (a light-colored sauce)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "velouté." However, in culinary contexts, phrases like "to sauce up" can refer to the act of adding sauce to a dish.

Summary

In summary, velouté is a versatile and important sauce in cooking, particularly in French cuisine. It is made from stock and serves as a base for many other sauces.

Academic

Noun

1. white sauce made with stock instead of milk