A velouté uses which type of stock?

• A. Light stock such as chicken, veal, or fish.
• B. Brown stock from roasted bones.
• C. Demi-glace.
• D. Vegetable stock.

Answer: (B)

Velouté uses a white, or light, stock as its base. This means stock made from poultry (like chicken or veal) or fish bones that isn’t roasted to darken it. The pale stock keeps the sauce light in color and delicate in flavor, and it’s typically thickened with a blond roux to achieve a smooth, velvety texture. Using brown stock would yield a darker, roasted-flavored sauce, which is the territory of Espagnole and its derivatives. Demi-glace is a concentrated reduction tied to brown sauce, not velouté. Vegetable stock isn’t traditional for velouté, since the classic version relies on meat or fish bases, though a vegetarian adaptation could use white vegetable stock.