Fish Velouté

A classic sauce for all types of fish and shellfish.

50 g butter 45 ml flour 250 ml cold Fish Stock (page 209)

150 ml cream

salt and white pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, remove from the heat and blend in the flour.

Whisk in the stock, pouring slowly to avoid lumps. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring all the while, until the sauce is silky smooth and

thickens slightly.

Remove from heat, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 500 ml

Saffron Fish Veloute

250 ml Fish Velouté (previous recipe) 30 ml Pernod or Vermouth

20 saffron threads in 30 ml warm water 50 g soft butter, cut into blocks

Make the fish velouté, remove from the heat and stir in the Pernod or Vermouth and saffron water. Just before serving, reheat and whisk in the butter block by block.

Makes 300 ml

Béchamel Sauce

50 g butter

45 ml cake flour

500 ml full cream milk, or milk and cream salt and milled black pepper

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat and blend in the flour. Slowly stir in the milk (or milk and cream), until the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Makes about 500 ml

Hollandaise Sauce

500 g unsalted butter

5 extra large egg yolks

1 extra large egg

salt, milled white pepper, cayenne pepper, turmeric

freshly squeezed lemon juice

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Skim the foam from the surface. Bring to the boil.

Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and egg into a food processor and whizz until pale yellow.

Add the boiling butter with the machine on. (Reheat the butter if it cools; the idea is to cook the egg yolks with the hot butter and in the process to form an emulsion.)

Season with salt and white pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper and turmeric. Add a little lemon juice.

Makes about 500 g