Sauce Allemande
Velouté thickened further with an egg yolk liaison
Velouté enriched with a liaison of egg yolks and cream. Escoffier called it sauce parisienne, apparently out of patriotism, but the older name stuck.
The liaison is the whole trick: temper it properly and never let the sauce boil afterwards, or the yolks curdle.
Ingredients
- 1 quart veal or chicken Velouté (see Velouté)
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and white pepper
Instructions
- Reduce the velouté by about a quarter over medium heat, skimming, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Whisk the yolks and cream together in a bowl.
- Whisk a ladle of the hot velouté into the yolk mixture to temper it, then a second. Pour the tempered liaison back into the pan, whisking.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon — about 3 minutes. Do not let it boil.
- Off the heat, whisk in the cold butter. Season with lemon, nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Strain.
Notes
- If it does break, blend it hot with an ice cube; it often comes back.
- Allemande with mushrooms and parsley becomes Sauce Poulette.