Invisible Keto

Making real food for real people.

Sauces → Base Sauces →

Velouté Sauce

Did I invent this? Probably not, but I certainly stumbled upon it by accident while performing a failed Cauliflower Purée experiment, and the result blew me away. I was trying to use sous vide for mashed cauliflower and instead I got liquid gold.

This is a refined white velouté sauce built from Sous Vide extraction and a controlled nutty reduction. Silky, savory, and naturally thickened without starch, ideal for steaks, short ribs, and Roast Chicken.

It tastes nothing like cauliflower; it's more of a thick brown butter sauce. It's a surprising accompaniment to meat dishes.

This recipe requires Sous Vide to work.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium cauliflower, sliced into steak-like portions
  • ½ small onion, sliced, to provide sweetness and depth
  • 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed and gently cooked, to add more sweetness and savory notes (or use garlic!)
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided into thirds
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • Optional: 1–2 tablespoons duck fat, for serving with duck or other rich poultry

Method

Sous Vide the Cauliflower

  1. Place cauliflower slices, onions, garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, chicken stock, and salt to taste in a vacuum bag. Seal tightly.
  2. Cook sous vide at 185°F / 85°C for 3 hours.
  3. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, reserving the liquid. We only care about the liquid for this recipe.

Reduce the Sauce

  1. In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat until milk solids turn pale golden and aroma becomes lightly nutty. If using duck fat, add it after the butter browns and whisk to combine.
  2. Immediately add the cauliflower liquid and simmer gently.
  3. Reduce by 25–50% until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Stop reduction if aroma shifts toward bitterness or sauce darkens beyond pale gold.
  4. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining cold butter until emulsified.
  5. Stir in heavy cream. Adjust salt to taste.

Duck Variation

  • For duck breast, replace part of the finishing butter with 1–2 tablespoons duck fat.
  • Duck fat reinforces the poultry flavor and adds richness without overwhelming the sauce.
  • A duck-stock version of this sauce is also excellent, though less versatile than the chicken-stock base recipe.

Storage

  • Refrigeration: Store up to 3 days in a sealed container.
  • Freezing: Freeze in small portions; sauce freezes well.
  • Reheating: Warm gently without boiling once butter or cream has been added.