Yield: 1 cup

Velouté is one of Escoffier’s five mother sauces in French cooking. This is a stock based sauce. About any sauce could be used to match the final dish. Multiple the quantity as needed. You can also change the ratio of butter/flour to stock to change the consistency of the sauce.

• 1small carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1medium onion, coarsely chopped
• ½stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter
• ¼cup all-purpose flour
• 4cups hot beef stock or reconstituted beef-veal demi-glace concentrate*
• ¼cup canned tomato purée
• 2large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1celery rib, coarsely chopped
• ½tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1Turkish or ½ California bay leaf

Sauce Espagnole (FN)

Yield: 6 servings

Robert Irvine / Food Network

• 1TBS vegetable oil
• 2scallions, chopped
• 1TBS chopped celery
• 1TBS chopped carrot
• 1small clove garlic, crushed
• 1TBS dry red wine
• 2cups rich brown beef, veal or chicken stock, hot
• 1TBS toasted instant flour (recommended: Wondra)
• 1TBS butter
• 1TBS tomato paste
• A sachet d’epices containing: 1 sprig parsley, 1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 black peppercorn

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and saute scallions, celery, carrot, and garlic over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have caramelized lightly. Add the red wine and beef stock and bring to a simmer.

In a stainless steel mixing bowl, whisk together the toasted flour and butter, add the tomato paste, then gradually ladle in the hot stock, whisking as you go to make a smooth sauce. Add the sachet d’epices of parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorn, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 50 minutes. Skim any impurities off the surface.