Velouté

Velouté is béchamel made with stock instead of milk. Cook a blond roux of 40 g butter and 40 g flour for three or four minutes, until it smells like toasted biscuits. Whisk in 750 ml of hot chicken, veal or fish stock and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, skimming, until it coats a spoon. Strain it. It's the base for many other sauces: add cream and lemon for sauce suprême, or white wine and mushrooms for a chicken fricassee. The quality of the stock decides how good it tastes.