Chicken Gravy

Velouté sauce is one of the five mother sauces of French cuisine. It is a simple sauce made by combining a white roux (a mixture of flour and butter) with a light chicken, fish or veal stock. The addition of milk to a traditional velouté sauce recipe results in a creamier and richer sauce with a velvety texture.

This variation is perfect for adding a subtle dairy flavor to the sauce, which pairs well with dishes like chicken, seafood, and vegetables. The milk also helps to mellow out the tangy flavor of the stock, creating a well-balanced sauce that is versatile and easy to customize to your liking.

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Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 25 min

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken gravy based on a French velouté with milk and herbs.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. flour
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • ½ cup chicken stock (bone broth for more flavor)
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 tsp. thyme, chopped
  • 1 tsp. parsley, chopped
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Whisk

Instructions

Prep

  1. 1.
    Heat milk and stock in saucepans or microwave.

Cook

  1. 2.
    Melt 1 Tbsp. butter until it stops frothing.
  2. 3.
    Add onion & celery and reduce heat.
  3. 4.
    Saute until vegetables are clear (5-10 min)
  4. 5.
    Add garlic and sweat for 1 minute.
  5. 6.
    Sift in 1 Tbsp. of flour and stir to make a roux.
  6. 7.
    Stir roux constantly until the flour is cooked, about 2 min.
  7. 8.
    Remove roux from heat and add stock and whisk until smooth.
  8. 9.
    Return to heat and add salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley.
  9. 10.
    Add milk and whisk until smooth.
  10. 11.
    Bring sauce to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce heat to a simmer.
  11. 12.
    Allow sauce to simmer until reduced by half (or desired consistency, coating the back of a spoon).
  12. 13.
    Adjust seasoning to taste.

Notes

  • Base for Chicken and Biscuits