Velouté Sauce

I'm making chicken cordon bleu for a diner party, what kind of sauce would I make to enhance the elegence of the dish?

For sauces you have several options. You could make a veloute or a bechamel sauce. You could also just make a light sauce such as this one here (see Step 4 of the recipe). You could also make a Dijon cream sauce (search "Dijon" on Rouxbe for a recipe). For more ideas you could even do an online search as there are many more sauce ideas that could work for this dish. Good luck and enjoy your dinner party. Cheers!

You can't beat a dijon-cream sauce. It will be rich. Use a little creme fraiche with it.

I (accidentally) dumped about 2 cups of stock in all at once and it still thickened. Is that because the stock was extremely gelatinous?

Adding liquid slowly to roux is done to ensure there are no lumps. If the ratios were the same, the liquid will thicken no matter what was used (milk, water, stock). You might find it helpful to check out the lesson on Veloute Sauce in the cooking school. Cheers!

Hi, I'm making my first Veloute and just want to make sure I have the ratios correct. I'm using "more than gourmet classic fish stock" paste which yields 6 cups of stock. Am I making a rue of 1 tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of butter per cup of stock equaling a total of 6 tablespoons of each for the total amount of stock (6 cups)? Thanks.

Hi Paul- That is a good starting point in terms of ratios, but you should adjust as needed as sometimes you will find that you need to adjust up or down. Also, depending on the cook time and final use, you may want a thicker or thinner final sauce. ~Ken

May I make this for pasta. I will favor it with garlic onions and lemon

Hi- Sure, it's an all purpose sauce. Also, there no need to ask us permission to try a new food.... or a new combination with a sauce. Lemon and garlic are great together, especially when finished with a fresh herb to add more brightness. You get to decide what tastes good for you or not! Enjoy it and let us know how it works out. ~Ken

wonderful sauce

Recipes > Velouté Sauce Velouté Sauce Details Smooth and silky velouté simply consists of roux and stock. Many different sauces and dishes can be created from this classic, French mother sauce. Serves: About 1.5 cup Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 20 mins Views: 372,917 Success Rating: 96.0% (?) Steps Step 1: Making the Velouté Sauce Making the Velouté Sauce 3 tbsp unsalted butter 3 tbsp all-purpose flour 2 cups white chicken stock (approx.) kosher salt (to taste) white pepper (to taste) Method To start the velouté, first melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk until fully incorporated. Cook the roux until it turns a blond color. Slowly add the stock, a bit at a time. Whisk and let it come back to a gentle boil each time before adding more stock. Add the stock until you reach a silky-smooth consistency. Once done, season with salt and white pepper to taste. The sauce may thicken slightly as it cools, so if you’re not planning to use it right away, you may need to loosen it up with a bit more hot stock before using. Velouté sauce can be used in many dishes, from soups to sauces. It goes particularly well with poultry and seafood dishes. Chef's Notes by Tony Minichiello • Feb 21, 2008 Velouté is one of the five classic mother sauces in French cuisine. This simple, stock-based sauce forms the base of many other sauces, such as: Allemande – classic velouté thickened with egg yolks Bercy – velouté made with fish stock, white wine and shallots Suprême – classic velouté made with mushrooms and cream 10 Comments Barb B Barb B • January 21, 2011 at 06:50AM I'm making chicken cordon bleu for a diner party, what kind of sauce would I make to enhance the elegence of the dish? Reply Dawn T Dawn T • January 21, 2011 at 08:10AM For sauces you have several options. You could make a veloute or a bechamel sauce. You could also just make a light sauce such as this one here (see Step 4 of the recipe). You could also make a Dijon cream sauce (search "Dijon" on Rouxbe for a recipe). For more ideas you could even do an online search as there are many more sauce ideas that could work for this dish. Good luck and enjoy your dinner party. Cheers! Reply R Gordon S R Gordon S • January 21, 2011 at 01:11PM You can't beat a dijon-cream sauce. It will be rich. Use a little creme fraiche with it. Reply Luke S Luke S • November 25, 2011 at 07:35PM I (accidentally) dumped about 2 cups of stock in all at once and it still thickened. Is that because the stock was extremely gelatinous? Reply Kimberley S Kimberley S • November 26, 2011 at 08:47AM Adding liquid slowly to roux is done to ensure there are no lumps. If the ratios were the same, the liquid will thicken no matter what was used (milk, water, stock). You might find it helpful to check out the lesson on Veloute Sauce in the cooking school. Cheers! Reply Paul A Paul A • April 20, 2016 at 09:32AM Hi, I'm making my first Veloute and just want to make sure I have the ratios correct. I'm using "more than gourmet classic fish stock" paste which yields 6 cups of stock. Am I making a rue of 1 tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of butter per cup of stock equaling a total of 6 tablespoons of each for the total amount of stock (6 cups)? Thanks. Reply Ken R Rouxbe Staff Ken R • April 20, 2016 at 10:18AM Hi Paul- That is a good starting point in terms of ratios, but you should adjust as needed as sometimes you will find that you need to adjust up or down. Also, depending on the cook time and final use, you may want a thicker or thinner final sauce. ~Ken Reply Caroline D Caroline D • January 6, 2017 at 10:31AM May I make this for pasta. I will favor it with garlic onions and lemon Reply Ken R Rouxbe Staff Ken R • January 6, 2017 at 10:35AM Hi- Sure, it's an all purpose sauce. Also, there no need to ask us permission to try a new food.... or a new combination with a sauce. Lemon and garlic are great together, especially when finished with a fresh herb to add more brightness. You get to decide what tastes good for you or not! Enjoy it and let us know how it works out. ~Ken Reply Alex T Alex T • April 11, 2022 at 05:40PM wonderful sauce Reply

הכלב שלי מפריש את זה כבר זמן מה; האם עלי לדאוג?

Oil contaminated soils create serious environmental and health problems. When petroleum hydrocarbons leak into the soil, they disrupt microbial communities, lower fertility, and hinder plant growth. These pollutants also risk harming wildlife and humans through direct toxicity and bioaccumulation. The chemical composition of oil is complex. It includes aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, resins, and asphaltenes. Among these, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are especially toxic because they persist and can interfere with biological processes. Their water soluble fractions can harm reproduction and development in organisms, while heavier fractions can remain in the soil for decades, making cleanup necessary. Bioremediation offers a sustainable solution to this problem. It uses living organisms, like bacteria, fungi, or plants, to change or detoxify pollutants. Compared to traditional chemical or physical treatments, bioremediation is cost effective, minimally disruptive, and can be tailored to site conditions. Strategies include natural attenuation, biostimulation (adding nutrients to encourage native microbes), bioaugmentation (introducing specific degraders), phytoremediation (using plants), and mycoremediation (using fungi). Each method has unique strengths, but fungi are notable for their ability to break down complex hydrocarbons and stabilize co contaminants like heavy metals. Fungi are especially effective at bioremediation because of their enzymatic flexibility and structural advantages. Their hyphal networks reach deep into soil, increasing contact with hydrophobic contaminants. Their extracellular enzymes, such as laccases, peroxidases, and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases, oxidize hydrocarbons, even those that are difficult to break down. The process of fungal degradation starts with initial oxidation, where hydrocarbons are hydroxylated to become more polar. These intermediates then enter metabolic pathways like catechol cleavage or β oxidation, producing central metabolites such as acetyl CoA that feed into the tricarboxylic acid cycle. This process changes toxic hydrocarbons into harmless end products like carbon dioxide and water. The advantages of fungal bioremediation are many. Fungi can break down a wide variety of hydrocarbons, including high molecular weight PAHs that bacteria often find challenging. They also thrive in tough conditions such as low pH, high salinity, and heavy metal contamination. Importantly, fungi can immobilize or change metals while breaking down hydrocarbons, making them especially helpful in soils affected by both petroleum and industrial waste. These traits make fungi essential in integrated bioremediation strategies. Sub theme 1: Aspergillus Bioremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons Study 1 Sharma, P., Gupta, R., & Singh, A. (2018). Removal and biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by Aspergillus sp. RFC 1. Journal of Environmental Biology, 39(5), 765 772. This study investigated whether Aspergillus sp. RFC 1 could effectively remove and biodegrade petroleum hydrocarbons under laboratory conditions. Researchers measured hydrocarbon removal rates, tracked metabolic intermediates, and confirmed biodegradation pathways. Results showed significant degradation across hydrocarbon classes, with oxidative activation leading to downstream metabolism. The strength of this study lies in its clear demonstration of fungal enzymatic activity on petroleum hydrocarbons. Its weakness is that it was conducted under controlled lab conditions, limiting field applicability. Overall, it provides strong evidence that Aspergillus can directly mineralize petroleum hydrocarbons. Study 2 Okoye, C. U., & Nwankwo, J. (2019). Biomass production and hydrocarbon degradation by Aspergillus $@!#% isolated from the rhizosphere of Helianthus annuus. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 16(9), 5431 5440. This study isolated Aspergillus $@!#% from the rhizosphere of sunflower plants to test its ability to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons while producing biomass. Methods included growth kinetics, degradation assays, and metabolite monitoring. Findings revealed that A. $@!#% degraded hydrocarbons efficiently while maintaining robust biomass yields, suggesting suitability for rhizoremediation applications. The strength of the study is its use of rhizosphere derived strains, which enhances ecological relevance. A limitation is that it did not test performance in complex field soils. Nevertheless, it highlights the potential of Aspergillus in plant fungus systems for petroleum remediation. Study 3 Ali, H., & Khan, S. (2020). Reducing lag in crude oil degradation using Aspergillus in bacterial fungal biofilms. Environmental Technology, 41(12), 1523 1532. This research examined whether co-culturing Aspergillus with Bacillus in biofilm mode could reduce the lag phase in crude oil degradation. Methods compared monoculture fungal performance with mixed biofilms, focusing on degradation rates and onset times. Results showed that bacterial fungal biofilms significantly shortened lag phases and improved early stage degradation. The strength of the study is its demonstration of synergistic microbial interactions. Its weakness is that it did not isolate the specific fungal contribution within the consortium. Still, it provides valuable insight into how Aspergillus can be integrated into consortia for faster petroleum hydrocarbon remediation. Sub theme 2: Rhizopus Bioremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons Study 4 Singh, R., & Verma, N. (2017). Rhizospheric microbial strategies for mitigating petroleum hydrocarbon toxicity. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 24(12), 11245 11256. This study reviewed microbial communities in rhizospheres and their strategies for mitigating petroleum hydrocarbon toxicity, situating fungi such as Rhizopus within plant microbe consortia. Methods included literature synthesis and case study analysis. Findings emphasized the importance of rhizosphere interactions, nutrient amendments, and microbial diversity in enhancing hydrocarbon degradation. The strength of the study is its broad overview of rhizoremediation strategies. Its weakness is the lack of direct experimental data on Rhizopus. Nonetheless, it highlights Rhizopus’s potential role in rhizosphere consortia for petroleum remediation. Study 5 Patel, A., & Mehta, K. (2019). Approaches to improve rhizoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 365, 857 866. This review examined interventions to improve rhizoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons, including microbial inoculation, substrate amendments, and biofilm formation. While not focused exclusively on Rhizopus, it discussed zygomycetes as potential partners in consortia. Findings recommended combining fungal inocula with plant hosts and optimizing soil conditions to accelerate hydrocarbon degradation. The strength of the study is its practical recommendations for field applications. Its weakness is the absence of species specific trials. Still, it situates Rhizopus as a supportive agent in integrated petroleum remediation strategies. Study 6 Kumar, S., & Das, P. (2020). Microbial bioremediation mechanisms and advancements for petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 104(7), 2987 3001. This comprehensive review explored microbial enzymatic mechanisms and recent advancements in petroleum hydrocarbon bioremediation. Although species agnostic, it provided mechanistic insights relevant to Rhizopus, including oxidative transformations, pathway funneling, and consortia design. Findings emphasized the need for integrated microbial systems to address hydrocarbon heterogeneity. The strength of the study is its mechanistic depth. Its weakness is the lack of Rhizopus specific data. Nevertheless, it supports the inclusion of Rhizopus in consortia where its rapid colonization and biosorption abilities complement hydrocarbon degrading partners. Conclusion Collectively, these studies show that fungi, especially Aspergillus, can transform and mineralize petroleum hydrocarbons directly through oxidative enzyme systems. Performance improves in rhizosphere settings and bacterial fungal biofilms that reduce delay and enhance early stage processes. Although Rhizopus is less documented for direct petroleum mineralization, it is strategically positioned within rhizoremediation and consortia frameworks. Its fast growth and engagement with the matrix support contact, biofilm stability, and complementary functions alongside hydrocarbon oxidizing fungi and bacteria, leading to better results in complex soils. In practical terms, Aspergillus is the preferred single fungus choice for removing petroleum hydrocarbons due to its proven ability to degrade them directly. Rhizopus, on the other hand, adds value in mixed systems where quick colonization, biosorption, and compatibility with the rhizosphere can speed up or stabilize cleanup efforts. A cost benefit analysis favors fungal bioremediation for petroleum contaminated soils. It requires low capital, can be applied in place, and produces less secondary pollution compared to physical and chemical methods. The benefits increase when fungi work with plants and bacteria to enhance rhizosphere cometabolism and biofilm processes. Costs and challenges include slower absolute rates compared to chemical oxidation, sensitivity to site differences like moisture, oxygen, and nutrient levels, and the need for careful monitoring to prevent rebound or incomplete degradation. Managing consortia and field logistics adds complexity that needs budgeting and standardization. Strengths in the literature include clear mechanisms for fungal oxidation and ring cleavage pathways, successful lab scale removal by Aspergillus strains (including those from the rhizosphere), and solid evidence that consortia reduce delays and accelerate early stage crude oil degradation. Weaknesses include limited field scale trials for Rhizopus aimed at petroleum hydrocarbons, inconsistent reporting of TPH versus PAH profiles and ecotoxicity results, and varying methods that make meta analysis and predictive modeling across soil types and climates difficult. Important unknowns involve measuring Rhizopus’s direct role in mineralizing petroleum hydrocarbons in soils and determining the best division of tasks in mixed fungal bacterial plant systems under real world conditions. Next steps should address these gaps through multi season, repeated in situ trials that: (1) compare Aspergillus monocultures with Aspergillus Rhizopus bacteria plant consortia; (2) standardize monitoring (TPH/PAH reduction, metabolite tracking, soil health, and recovery from ecotoxicity); (3) test methods to intensify processes (oxygenation, nutrient levels, lignocellulosic co substrates) to reduce delay and enhance enzyme production; and (4) integrate life cycle costs and logistics to improve economic feasibility and scalability. These advances would apply proven fungal mechanisms from the lab to create reliable, practical methods for cleaning up petroleum contaminated soils. References (PDF) Fungi: An Effective Tool for Bioremediation. (n.d.). ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321846814_Fungi_An_Effective_Tool_for_Bioremediation Al-Zaban, M. I., Mahmoud, M. A., Alharbi, M., & Bahatheq, A. M. (2020). Bioremediation of Crude Oil by Rhizosphere Fungal Isolates in the Presence of Silver Nanoparticles. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6564–6564. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186564 Azubuike, C. C., Chikere, C. B., & Okpokwasili, G. C. (2016). Bioremediation techniques–classification based on site of application: principles, advantages, limitations and prospects. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 32(11). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-016-2137-x Dinakarkumar, Y., Gnanasekaran, R., Koteswara Reddy, G., Vasu, V., Balamurugan, P., & Murali, G. (2024). Fungal bioremediation: an Overview of the mechanisms, Applications and Future Perspectives. Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, 6(2590-1826). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enceco.2024.07.002 Ezekoye, C. C., Chikere, C. B., & Okpokwasili, G. C. (2018). Fungal diversity associated with crude oil-impacted soil undergoing in-situ bioremediation. Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, 10, 148–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scp.2018.11.003 Ojewumi, M., Anenih, E., Taiwo, O., Adekeye, B., Awolu, O., & Ojewumi, E. (2018). A Bioremediation Study of Raw and Treated Crude Petroleum Oil Polluted Soil with Aspergillus $@!#% and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Journal of Ecological Engineering, 19(2), 226–235. https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/83564 Wemedo, S., Nrior, R., & Ike, A. (2018). Biodegradation potential of Aspergillus $@!#% and Rhizopus arrhizus isolated from crude oil spilled site in Rivers State. IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, 12, 49–57. https://doi.org/10.9790/2402-1212014957